"There is much to praise in Marian Thurm's Walking Distance-the affectionate and exact rendering of New York's color and detail, the delicacy and ease of the narrative, the liveliness of the characters. And though the locale is distinctly East Coast, the voice distinctly young and American, I won't be surprised if readers are reminded of the equally well-crafted and elegant short novels of Anita Brookner. For wisdom, humor, generosity of spirit, and readability, this first novel from an already distinguished short story writer deserves our warmest welcome." -David Leavitt "Walking Distance is a stunner. Marian Thurm has given us a heartbreaking book with-somehow—a laugh or two or three on every page. The work is a happy miracle." —Mary Robison "Walking Distance is a heartbreaking story of the hard choices that define marriage these days-beautifully rendered. !, elegantly crafted, punishingly intimate." -Frederick Barthelme "Thurm manages a light, expert touch for the bumpy, fragmentary details of daily life; never veering into melodrama, she knows how a book can be the more provocative by being discreetly quiet about its mate-rial— and seem more intelligent for what is left unsaid Interesting, appealing work from a very fine writer." —Kirkus