I believe in the superiority of anthologies. If you have a short attention span, a life too hectic to read regularly, commitment issues, or all of the above, an anthology is your friend. On that note, Danielle Evans’ “The Office of Historical Corrections” is an anthology worth picking up, especially if you are interested in comprehensive character development and thought-provoking ideas about womanhood, racism and other contemporary issues.

This particular anthology contains six short stories and a 100-page novella. Across these pieces, Evans explores several experiences and emotions such as grief, challenging one’s worldview and making peace with the past. In the novella, whose title gives the anthology its name, tries to answer the question, how do we give a fair and accurate telling of history? Who gets to be represented in historical information?

One short story called “Anything Could Disappear,” readers are taken along the nerve-wracking journey of an accidental kidnapping. In another, “Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want” goes an unconventional route in depicting the male ego and what a “proper apology” is.

Personally, I sat down and read the whole book from cover to cover over the course of a few days. However, the convenience of an anthology is that one can pick and choose works to read and enjoy in one sitting. I highly recommend “The Office of Historical Corrections” for either of these options, as each piece is unique, has vivid and emotional language, and comes together to form a beautiful collection of human stories.