Excerpt from The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"No way," says Stan. "We can't afford the risk, we need the money for gas."

"Have some gum, honey," says Charmaine. "Relax a little. Go to sleep. Your brain's too active."

"What fucking brain?" says Stan. There's a hurt silence: he shouldn't take it out on her. Dickhead, he tells himself. None of this is her fault.

Tomorrow he'll eat his pride. He'll hunt down Conor, help him out with whatever scam he's engaged in, join the criminal underclass. He has an idea about where to start looking. Or maybe he'll just hit Con up for a loan, supposing Con is flush. That shoe used to be on the other foot – it was Conor who'd done the hitting up when they were younger, and before Conor had figured out how to game the system – but he'll need to avoid reminding Conor of their former positions now. Or maybe he should remind him. Con owes him. He could say Payback time or something. Not that he's got any leverage. But still, Con's his brother. And he is Con's brother. Which must be worth something.

Excerpted from The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood Copyright © 2015 by Margaret Atwood.
Excerpted by permission of Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.