SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
"Olympus, Texas" is set in hardscrabble territory, the plains of Texas, with the Briscoes, a family who brim with infidelity, some acknowledged, others still concealed, tick, tick, ticking away in a small town that history seemed to leave in the underbrush and poison oak. There are clues beyond the title, such as the twin dogs named Romulus and Remus, that this family tale is rich in classical themes. Think of it as a classic Greek tale, but pungent and falling off the bone like Texas barbecue.
"Olympus, Texas" is the debut novel from Stacey Swann, a native Texan who's a contributing editor of American Short Fiction. And she joins us where else but from Austin. Thanks so much for being with us.