Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston Review

This is a collection of short stories, for the most part centered around women with themes of love and their relationships with men or lovers. Their behaviors and interactions with men who do things that men do: lie, cheat, do things to make you fall in love with them when all they really wanna do is… anyways. But jokes aside, there are also such pure moments of love and care, female friendships, nature, and hobbies within each little universe and character that she introduces. One loves a woman, one has a dog-loving husband who doesn’t really like her mom and aunt (for good reason), one gets thrown out by her partner who’s not really abusive but kind of (who’s to say?), one sleeps under her lover’s bear pelt, one follows her boyfriend to his hunting job.

Love and relationships are something that many seek and yearn for. However, there can be a bit of shame in that search at times, and we try to downplay how important we find relationships, finding the right partner, how badly we were hurt in the past by someone we thought would work out. But Houston looks this universal truth and topic straight on, writing with an honest clarity about the reality of relationships for women—no downplaying or sarcasm to be found. It’s just so sincere; there’s no hidden irony to be found in these pages. But what is to be found are wonderful quotes, short glimpses at an individual’s life that somehow make you root for them, sharp and witty insights about the tiring archetypes of men that women find themselves entertaining against all advice by female friends and their own instincts. Why exactly do they do it? Houston isn’t in the field of psychology, so don’t expect her to answer that one.

And this book is so much more than a discussion about men. Her characters realize things about themselves, we witness their lives and the patterns they find themselves in. The beauty is in how short of a chapter/glimpse Houston crafts that keeps you reading more. I don’t usually like short stories, but this collection really drew me in.

If you choose to read this one, beware—as there are themes and discussions about domestic violence.