From award-winning author Nora Lange comes a refreshing look at the lives of women attempting to rattle carping mothers and wanting men through daytime sex.

Nora Lange’s debut novel, Us Fools, was praised as the “Great American Novel” by Molly Young in The New York Times, and “a razor-sharp critique of American capitalism” by Michael Schaub at NPR. Now, Lange shifts her focus to the vexing daily conundrums of individuals attempting to repair relationships, avoid confrontation, or negotiate parenting survival strategies.

In “Heartbeats,” Carol and David arrive late to a dinner party for a night of “messy socializing” with other couples, including a former cult leader-turned financial advisor and a woman who learned of a “kinky sort of game” while riding public transit. After the peach crumble, the evening devolves into a hysterical scene at once liberating and climactic. In the title story, a mother in Los Angeles navigates a job and long-distance relationship with her husband, while entertaining her visiting mother, desperate to find a day-time hook-up on a dating app.

Hilarious, playful, and savage, Day Care is a biting reflection on American identity, the male gaze, and consumerism that furthers Lange’s budding reputation as a major talent.