Nicola Barker weaves humor and tragedy through this collection, as her characters struggle to find love, independence, and fulfillmentThe Three Button Trick and Other Stories is a collection of nineteen of Nicola Barker’s most brilliant stories and exemplifies her ability to create daring, witty, and dynamic characters, all their idiosyncrasies intact. Barker’s stories often use wordplay and humor to stretch the boundaries of metaphor and reality as outrageously original plots unfold. The collection begins with the tale of a teenage girl whose obsession with the size of her nose dangerously compromises her relationships with her friends and her family. “G-String” and “Symbiosis: Class Cestoda” detail women who gain self-esteem, albeit through quirky methods, despite the cowardly men who try to suppress them. The title story, “The Three Button Trick,” traces the story of a man who deliberately buttons his duffel coat incorrectly to attract sympathetic females. Barker skillfully intertwines humor with despair; she taps into the psyches of her characters to create an authentic and singular narrative. The Three Button Trick and Other Stories is a resonant, audacious volume from a writer of immense talent and originality.