This irresistible collection of stories brilliantly skewers the close-to-rich and not-so-famous of 21st century America. With keen yet kind perspective, Kaltman revels in the triumphs and travails of misfit trophy wives, psychic hotel maids, jilted bridegrooms, show tune-singing security guards, and assorted other oddballs. Always balancing her sharp eye with a soft heart, Kaltman ensures that this collection isn't just funny, but memorable and lovable as well.

“‘I needed a goddamn purpose,’ kicks off the crackling debut collection by Alice Kaltman. Her characters, united in their desire for that elusive something, take to the existential (if misguided) hunt with adept and incisive Kaltman leading the way. What they find and what they discover about themselves -- be it in a dank basement or a honeymoon suite, the heart of organic Brooklyn or retirement Florida, on a snowy suburban expressway or a swimming hole in the woods -- is often hilarious and always full of heart. Kaltman is a pro at holding contemporary culture up to a fun house mirror. The staggering result is Staggerwing: eleven irresistible stories that are equal parts witty, quirky, keenly observed, and absolutely bursting with life.” - Sara Lippmann, author of Doll Palace 

”Quirky and whip-smart, the eleven stories in Alice Kaltman's first collection Staggerwing are graced with her exquisite, singular voice. My advice: Read this book.” - Peter Hedges, author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape? 

”Alice Kaltman's stories of loneliness, joy, men, women, and relationships are pared down and perfectly observed. With a voice that is as tender as it is precise, Kaltman is the Chekhov of Long Island.” - Emily Schultz, author of The Blondes