"Not for the faint of heart, this collection is relentless and intense, but Lansburgh’s prose offers stunning moments of tenderness amid its stark depictions of loneliness. Arresting and pointed." ─KIRKUS
"Matthew Lansburgh has a keen eye and ear, and he puts them to great use in this lovely and, frankly, mesmerizing linked collection. Outside Is the Ocean is a gem." ─ANDRE DUBUS III, Judge, Iowa Short Fiction Award
"Lansburgh’s linked stories succeed as a nuanced character study and a resonant commentary on the challenges of romantic and familial love." ─PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Spanning years and perspectives, the 15 linked stories in Lansburgh’s ambitious collection, winner of the Iowa Short Fiction Award, reveal the world of a fractured family . . . Lansburgh has crafted a unique, captivating debut." ─BOOKLIST
"Every so often a work of fiction presents us with the great gift of an entire life. What Matthew Lansburgh has given us here, like the points of a constellation, is the breadth of a family, across many decades, through all their hardships, unspeakable heartbreaks, and small victories.Outside Is the Ocean is a book full of grace and endurance. It’s an exceptional debut, and we’re lucky to have it in this world, now." ─PAUL YOON, author of Etna
"A brilliant collection." ─MARGOT LIVESEY (via Twitter), author of Mercury and The Flight of Gemma Hardy
"Only the hardest-hearted will be unmoved by this graceful and empathetic chronicle of fractured family life." ─PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
