The novel ‘Making Nice’ is a series of 20 connected short stories that were written over 10 years by the author, Matt Sumell. Sumell used the real-life anguish of losing his mother to cancer to craft his characters and settings. The voice of the stories rings true, but this one is a tough read. It does get points for honest gut punches and black humor. I can’t say it any better than this great blurb by Ron Carlson on the back of my ARC copy: “Every story here is two: one the fun, the other the blade.”