Kirstin Valdez Quade reads her story from the July 31, 2017, issue of the magazine. Quade’s début story collection, “A Night at the Fiestas,” was published in 2015 and received the John Leonard Prize from the National Book Critics Circle.
Gertrude holds her belly in skeletal arms. She sinks to her knees before Christina, pulls at Christina’s limp hands. “Please let me keep it,”she begs.“Please, Christina. I know you can intercede with God. Please do this for me.”Â