Winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize

11 stories.
11 lives.
11 regrets.

Each story in this quiet, moving collection gives us a glimpse into a life shaped by past choices. From a gay hustler on holiday, to a failed NYC actor, to a young woman reconnecting with her estranged brother—every character is haunted by something, and trying, in their own quiet way, to find peace.

There’s no big drama here—just deeply human moments. Regret. Longing. Small wins that feel like victories. These characters aren’t larger than life—they are life. And that’s what makes the collection so resonant. They could be any of us.

Thoughtful, subtle, and emotionally honest, A Place in the World reminds us that even in the ordinary, there’s beauty—and even in brokenness, there's connection.

The stories in this collection are at the intersection of personal revelation and the mundane details of daily life. Most consist of characters reflecting back on events that show the reader who they are. Some characters are more self-aware than others, but they are honest about their flaws. If anything is held back in the narrative, it's only because the narrator is altogether unwilling to admit it to themselves. Most readers will find some characters here that they can relate to; if you're a gay man or a New Yorker, the chances are even higher.

If you're looking for linear plots, suspense, and exciting events, you're not necessarily going to find those here. These characters, like all of us, have been shaped by chance meetings, coincidences, and quirks of their backgrounds; most of the dramatic, life-changing happenings are in the past.

My favorite story was "The World at Large," in which the narrator writes a letter to an old friend. Most of the letter recounts a discussion with a stranger at the mailbox, and how this discussion convinced him to overcome hesitation and inertia in his life.

While I wouldn't call this a funny book overall, you'll find that some of the narrators display wry humor. For example, here is a quote from another story, "The Simple Part:" "I'd dropped my phone in the process and broken it, so not only was I submerged in grief, but once I got my wits about me, I had to go deal with Verizon."

Ultimately, this collection helped me as a reader to feel more aware of how serendipitous life can be, and to appreciate (or at least notice) the small stuff.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Place in the World
Author: Bill Gaythwaite
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: Oct. 7, 2025
 
Take off your rose-colored glasses and buckle your seatbelt to read this captivating collection of short stories. Life is messy, complicated, brief, challenging, and often sad, as illustrated in these eleven engaging tales that reflect human frailty. I have always admired authors who can craft heartfelt narratives in just a few words and Mr. Gaythwaite offers intriguing observations about human behavior. In essence, nobody gets an easy, free ride in life, and there is often, for lack of a better word, some necessary penance for our actions.

This is not a book with a clear beginning and a neatly wrapped-up ending; it explores how people make mistakes and strive to improve. I could sense the optimism in the author’s writing, which I appreciated. Sometimes, an ordinary story can become extraordinary when shared. For reference, I particularly loved the story featuring “Aunt Chloe." Well done, Mr. Gaythwaite!
 
#APlaceInTheWorld @upittpress @billgaythwaite @netgalley #life #love #loss #fate #desire #wearebookish #netgalleyreader #fiction #beautifulbookcover

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

such a quiet but then so very loud book. so beautiful. so insightful. its not full of shock or groundbreaking stories. but these stories are so brilliant because they are real. because they feel real. and they allow us to see and be seen inside these little word created here for us in each of these stories. i loved getting to know each story and the characters within. i came to care for more than a few. and somehow even though they were shorter stories they felt just perfect. and somehow gave us all we needed from them. and also so important because we had such length with them.
we get to see a place in these people's world. and also gives us a view that there is a place in the world for so many things and so many people. in the grander scheme of things where is our place? and what does that mean?
i thought throughout reading that some of the stories would really hit for some, and more others for others. there was a place in this book for everyone too. i know i had my favourites.
this is the book you could give or receive as a gift. one on a shelf that you or many could keep coming back to.
there was just enough stories in this as a whole. you could think clearly on each, see them as their own but also feel they fit together well.
this book really did take hold of me. i enjoyed it so much. and i feel bad because i wasn't expecting like it as much as i did.
this story isn't all cliche. its not all pleasant. its true. and i think we need a good balance sometimes. these stories perhaps reflect the more complicated side to humans stories. but it never overwhelms. and somehow i came out feel hopeful. and like Gaythwaite had built us a brilliant observation of human behaviour.
a brilliant book. so good.

A wonderful collection of stories (published by my alma mater!!) focused on a cast of unique characters reflecting on what brought them to life as they know it now. Their memories of past lives, past lives, and past adventures haunt them in their current day to day existences, and yet it seems that most don’t have regrets about where they are in life.

This incredible character study drew me in, and Bill Gaythwaite’s writing style was perfectly reflective, touching, and powerful. Thanks so much to Bill Gaythwaite, the University of Pittsburgh (H2P), and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Pittsburg Press for an early digital copy of this anthology!
Rating: 4/5
Overall themes: Slice of life, growing up, family, loss, abandonment, past trauma, coming out,
I really enjoyed this anthology! The stories were all very well written and interesting in their own ways. I liked how I could determine the themes of each of the stories. With that being said, these are not complete narratives (hint the *short story* designation). I would say go into this with that in mind. These are slice of life stories with different themes but overall about the human experience. I really enjoyed the descriptive language and the use of metaphors!
Below, I have comments regarding the first half of the stories. I recommend reading this anthology to create your own opinions on the later half!
A Place in the World:
Themes: Lost love, complicated pasts, heartbreak, the one that got away, self-sabotage
“Our Building had the blown-apart look of collateral damage, and the walls of our apartment were grimy and pitted, like the complexion of a grubby teenager.”
Our protagonist in this story, Vincent, meets Fisher in the park. He has a complicated past and chooses to lie to Fisher. Fisher had just lost his partner, Charles. Vincent has a friend named Buzz who is in a sugar baby-sugar daddy relationship with an older doctor. He does not love his partner for him, only for what he can provide. Vincent gains a lot from Fisher. He gains educational and cultural knowledge.
“Fisher was the sweetest person I’d ever known. His sweetness fizzed up from deep within him like a water from a secret spring…”
Vincent ends up cheating on Fisher while they are on vacation. Fisher, of course, sees this and kicks Vincent out of his life. He starts to live a life similar to Buzz’s and never sees Fisher again. Years pass and he finds Fisher’s obituary online.
This story was an easy read with clear but interesting writing. It is the story of a love that was doomed from the start, but was still worth having. I felt melancholic after finishing it. I wish things would have worked out, but that’s life and love. Heartbreaking, but beautifully so.

If You Only Knew:
Themes: absentee father, strained relationships, abandonment, moving on, family drama
“We’re brothers. We have joint custody over certain memories, visitation rights.”
This story follows Kevin, who has an absentee father. He is used to this until one summer he spends a ton of time with his dad while his office is being remodeled. One morning he waked up to his mom telling him that his dad walked out on them. His dad moved to California for a new job, leaving them behind. Kevin, his little brother Wiley, and his mother move on and try to get used to the absence. In the end, Kevin realizes he is a lot like his father, whether he likes it or not.
This story confronts familial bonds and what happens when a parent abruptly leaves. As much as Kevin wants to ignore and forget his father, he just can’t. As he interacts with his family, he realizes that he has a part of his dad’s personality, whether he likes it or not.

The Joy Factor:
Themes: moving on, death of a parent, substance abuse
Sarah is a college student who is staying in a coastal tourist town for the summer. She has a beautiful roommate named Persis. They decide to sell baked goods on the side of the busy road for some money. This story discusses what lead Sarah to where she is now. Her father died of a heart attack right before her graduation. After his death, the family found out that he was possibly embezzling money and having an affair. He had taken all the money they had saved for college and still left them with debts. Sarah and her family struggles not only with the loss of their father/husband, but the secrets that he had while he was alive. Did they ever really know him? Her brother ends up in rehab after spiraling with all of this heartache. Sarah feels guilty for still leaving for college so soon after the death.
Sarah ends up reconciling with her brother on the side of that busy street. The story ends in a hopeful way with the siblings reunited and planning on contacting their mother.
Sarah has realized that no matter what her dad did in life, that they still had precious moments together that she will never forget.
A quote from Sarah’s brother about his addiction recovery: “You know, one of the guys in my afternoon group, a truck driver with a fentanyl habit, talked about everyday joy all the time. He referred to It as the joy factor and described it as that extra-special something that keeps us all going in this world. In his case, it was the way his kid smiles at him when he gets home from a cross-country haul.”

Off the Grid:
Themes: domestic issues, addiction, crime, the male gaze, hyper-sexualization, work-place abuse, loss of a partner, sudden death
We start the story with our protagonist, Katie, welcoming her husband home. He has gotten into a fight on the subway. He tells her the story of what happened and she is reminded of her ex-boyfriend, Nick. Katie has a complicated past. She was homeless at some point as well as dancing for money. She ends up with a job at a bar in which her boss is obsessed with the idea of sleeping with her. She meets a bouncer called Nick while at work. They start dating and her boss is not a fan. Nick ends up getting fired and because she defended him at a later date, she ends up quitting her job.
Katie is a character that seems to be defined by what the men in her life think of her. She seems to choose the gaze and approval of men over others. Her female roommate is mentally ill and has a breakdown. Katie does not seem to have any compassion for her and uses demeaning language towards her. She even ends up moving her boyfriend, Nick, in without her roommate’s approval, causing the roommate to leave. Nick is a criminal and an addict. Katie likes to make excuses for his, and other men’s bad behavior. You can see while reading how Katie is affected by the opinions of men.
Nick ends up being tragically killed by being hit by a car while he was walking on the sidewalk. It is clear that he had a huge impact on Katie and that she will never forget things. Hopefully things go better with Sam, even though I think she’ll never get over Nick.
“Sometimes these memories come at me like a weather front, like hailstones, and there’s nothing I can do about it but let them pass.”

The World at Large:
Themes: the butterfly affect, family-planning, defining moments
Oliver is at his friend Nina’s apartment, taking care of her cat, Janis Joplin, while she is away filming a movie. He runs into a man outside of the complex and they get to chatting about the man’s unique tee shirt. The man explains that his son is in a band and how proud he is of him, even thought it wasn’t always easy. Oliver’s partner, Armando, has been discussing them starting a family. Oliver is not sure about this, but when he meets Nina’s neighbor, things become clear to him. The love from the father seeps into him and he reconsiders starting a family. He contacts his partner to start planning.
This story mentions the “butterfly effect’ and I think this short story is a really good representation of that phenomenon. If Oliver had not had a chance meeting with his old friend Nina, decided to house-sit her cat and then met this father, he might not have come to the same conclusion about a huge decision in his life.
A parting statement that the father gives really sticks with Oliver, “Take heart.”

This collection offers a thoughtful exploration of human yearning; each story reflecting a search for stability, identity, and meaning within a larger, often uncertain world. The author demonstrates a keen understanding of emotional nuance, weaving together narratives that balance introspection with engaging storytelling.

The opening story, “If You Only Knew,” stands out as a particularly strong entry. Its originality, emotional depth, and well-developed characters set a high bar for the rest of the collection. Throughout the book, the author crafts distinctive voices and richly imagined backstories that lend authenticity to the characters’ struggles and desires.

However, the pacing and structure of some pieces feel uneven. A few stories, such as “Unlike Some People,” conclude abruptly, leaving readers without a sense of closure or forward momentum. These premature endings occasionally diminish the emotional payoff established earlier in the narratives.

Despite these moments of inconsistency, the collection as a whole succeeds in delivering a resonant reading experience. The themes of longing and self-discovery remain consistent and compelling. Readers may find it most rewarding to approach the stories individually, with brief pauses between them, allowing each to linger and settle before moving on to the next.