This collection of short stories provides a melancholy look at the inherent sadness of everyday life. Even without much physical action provided in most of the short stories, there is a depth and nuance to the characters which conveys the malaise they feel even when the events don’t seem to be all that tragic. Granted, some of the stories are obviously distressing, such as the one about the stillborn baby, but others, while portraying less obvious circumstances still impress an air of abject sadness upon the reader.

The sole purpose of these stories is not necessarily for the entertainment of the typical pleasure reader. The stories appeal to those who prefer deep, well written fiction that adheres to the “show, don’t tell” principle of writing. Sometimes I wasn’t even quite sure what I’d been shown; all I knew was that it made me a little sad. My college fiction professor would have enjoyed this book and it would make good discussion material for a class or book club.

The language is easy to understand, though since the stories take place mostly in the mid-20^th century, the dialect is a little dated. It doesn’t detract from the stories though. It isn’t the language which can cause comprehension problems, but the content. The stories are well written and deep, but honestly some of the I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened.

Honestly, the stories need to be discussed and analyzed to get the full benefit. I may have to make a friend read it so that I can discuss it and understand some things better. Some of the time I felt shell shocked but wasn’t sure exactly why.  That said, I did enjoy the stories, but I’d suggest only reading one or two at a time. This isn’t the type of book that you read in one sitting unless you want to be terribly depressed and baffled. I’m pretty sure that it’s not simply that I’m unable to comprehend deep writing but that the writing is meant to exude emotion rather more than it is to tell a simple narrative.  Even though I found it sometimes confusing, I would recommend the book for a library, book club, or college course.

© 2012 Natalie Kelley-Wilson

Natalie Kelley-Wilson graduated from Allegheny College with a BA in English Lit. and from Clarion University with a Masters in Library Science. Currently she works at her town’s public library and the county historical society. Email: nataliekelleywilson82@gmail.com