Seven for the Apocalypse — Kit Reed

"Seven for the Apocalypse brings together Kit Reed''s powerful 1994 novella with seven short stories about love and isolation. A work of metaphysical science fiction and a finalist for the Tiptree award, Little Sisters of the Apocalypse interweaves two stories. The first follows a motorcycle gang of radical nuns on their mission to save an island of women, abandoned by the men who have gone to war, from a band of outlaws. Of course, not all of the women need, or want, to be saved. The second narrative traces the long-term illness and eventual death of the author''s mother, herself a World War II widow. The accompanying short stories, never before collected, include the highly acclaimed ""River,"" ""The Singing Marine,"" and ""Voyager."" These intense, intelligent tales take a hard and often humorous look at the myths we create in order to comfort ourselves, myths whose danger lies in their very perfection."