NATIONALBESTSELLER-ABESTBOOKOFTHEYEAR:NPR,USAToday-Acollectionof“first-rate“shortstories(TheNewYorkTimes)thatexplore--withgreataffection,humor,andinsight--thehumanconditioninallitsfoibles.Asmall-townnewspapercolumnistwithold-fashionedviewsofthemodernworld.AWorldWarIIveterangrapplingwithhisemotionalandphysicalscars.Asecond-rateactorplungedintosuddenstardomandawhirlwindpressjunket.Fourfriendstravelingtothemooninarocketshipbuiltinthebackyard.ThesearejustsomeofthestoriesthatTomHankscapturesinhisfirstworkoffiction.Thestoriesarelinkedbyonething:ineachofthem,atypewriterplaysapart,sometimesminor,sometimescentral.Tomany,typewritersrepresentalevelofcraftsmanship,beauty,andindividualitythatisharderandhardertofindinthemodernworld.Inthesestories,Hanksgracefullyreachesthattypewriter-worthylevel.Byturnswhimsical,witty,andmoving,UncommonTypeestablisheshimasawelcomeandwonderfulnewvoiceincontemporaryfiction.
