Tougher Than the Rest

A topical story collection with great humor and heart about the ripple effects of wealth disparity on women

Set in the near future, Tougher than the Rest features women in different stages of life―from former trophy wives and activist yoga obsessives to retail and white-collar workers―in an urban environment rife with wealth disparity. Their stories are linked by a corporate real estate developer who affects the protagonists' lives in ways both small and large, each one inspired by a classic song title from a hypermasculine artist.

In "Tougher than the Rest," a low-income gig worker moderates comments on YouTube. In "Night Moves," a dental office receptionist buys a second-hand sex robot at the Salvation Army. In "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," a woman grieving her husband's potential suicide encounters talking animals and cryptids who become the tough love she needs. In "Dream On," a social media influencer undergoes a drastic surgery to make her face literally more adaptable.

A clever and wry commentary on class, technology, white feminism, love and friendship, gender roles, and the loneliness of the modern world, in which you're always at the mercy of rich assholes, Tougher than the Rest is for those who are angry but need some hope and humor to get through it all. Outlandish yet emotionally honest, this collection affirms Del Bucchia as a singular voice in capturing the zeitgeist of women in contemporary culture.