Rising and Other Stories, Bronzeville Books, received a 2021 FAPA award.
Praise for Rising:
“Gale Massey’s insight and empathy resonate throughout this beautifully written debut collection. She has just the right words to make us feel the pain and hardships affecting her characters, but always with hope. This a must-read from a wonderful new writer. I can’t wait to see what she does next.” –Alafair Burke, New York Times-bestselling author of The Better Sister

“Through girlhood, adulthood, and motherhood, and against complex family dynamics, the characters in Gale Massey’s exquisite collection strive to find their places in the world—and find themselves in the process. Sharply characterized, lyrically written, rich with surprises, rich with life—these are stories to savor.” —Art Taylor, Edgar Award-winning author of The Boy Detective and The Summer of ’74

"Gale Massey’s astonishing debut collection, Rising and Other Stories, explores the themes of race, sexuality, childhood, family, hardship and courage in tough, clear-eyed prose. Girls and women on the edges of society are compassionately rendered as the reader is drawn into a world of small towns and smaller lives with such bare emotion it’s hard to look away. These stories are more than enjoyable, they are addictive. Brava to an unusually gifted writer.” —Louise Marburg, author of The Truth About Me and No Diving Allowed

“The emotions displayed throughout are sparse yet full of understated meaning. Truly a marvelous collection of short stories.” —Suanne Schafer, author of A Different Kind of Fire and Hunting the Devil

"Massey's writing twists the hearts out of her characters and leaves them exposed, broken, tender, and pulsing on the page. Be forewarned—your own heart will join them." —Sandra Gail Lambert, author of A Certain Loneliness

“In Rising and Other Stories, Gale Massey’s characters spring to life with unparalleled vividness and verve. Mothers and fathers, carpenters and grocers, veterans and police officers, church ladies and inmates, these saints and sinners elbow past tragedy, racing trains and swimming their way through alligator-infested waters. These are stories that will stay with you, haunting and wondrous.” —David James Poissant, author of Lake Life and The Heaven of Animals

The Girl From Blind River received a Florida Book Award. A coming of age story, this novel is set against the backdrop of family dysfunction, illegal gambling and small town corruption.
Praise for The Girl From Blind River:
"With this dazzling debut, Gale Massey arrives as a rare talent, a writer's writer who should be read by the masses. The Girl From Blind River is a swift and thrilling story anchored by compelling characters and scored by graceful prose. The novel is both timeless and timely, and is sure to be one of the must-reads of 2018."
―Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author
"A fast-paced, impressive debut. In a gritty, yet poetic voice, Massey introduces us to the unforgettable Jamie Elders, a young woman desperate to escape her past but unwilling to leave it behind. From an exciting new author to watch, this debut is a definite addition to your 2018 must-read list."
―Lori Roy, award-winning author of The Disappearing
“A knockout debut novel...Lyrical and unflinching, The Girl from Blind River grabs you on page one and never lets go."
―Ann Hood, bestselling author of The Book That Matters Most
"One of the most impressive debut novels that has ever come my way. Taut and vivid, it is beautifully textured and it announces the arrival of a very special writer whose work I expect to read for many years… A gem.”
―Steve Yarbrough, PEN/Faulkner Award-Nominated Author
"Smart, sharp and fast, Gale Massey's thriller ratchets up the action, making the reader lean forward till the turn of her last card."
― Stewart O'Nan, award-winning author of The Odds