Mice 1961

In "Mice 1961," a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, Stacey Levine explores the intense dynamics between two orphaned half-sisters, Jody and Mice, as seen through the eyes of their vigilant housekeeper, Girtle. Set against the backdrop of Cold War tension in southern Florida, the novel delves into themes of belonging and otherness as the sisters navigate their fraught relationship amidst societal pressures and neighborhood interactions. The story unfolds on a pivotal day filled with emotional highs and an unsettling encounter, highlighting the complexities of attachment and identity in a time of global uncertainty.