Book review: Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket by Hilma Wolitzer
Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket (2021) is a collection of short stories by 91-year-old American novelist Hilma Wolitzer. Published this year, the book includes stories from as far back as the 1960s, and largely focuses on the evolution of a marriage. The publishing of this book was prompted by Wolitzer’s husband passing away from COVID-19 after 68 years of marriage: as a coping mechanism, Wolitzer took to pen and paper after a long hiatus, and wrote the final story “unbidden and whole.” It is an ode to her husband as much as it is the melancholic, yet perfect, conclusion to a succession of short stories previously published in various magazines over the years.