Short stories mostly set in the 1940s to 1960s Canada, except for the title novella which takes place in 1880s France, Germany, Russia and Sweden. It’s a journey, but then, isn’t that what reading Alice Munro is all about? Life is the journey no matter where she takes us and where we see ourselves in what she creates. Not my favorite collection of hers but certainly compelling to read. The stories will stay with me as they are mostly women—and one man—looking for a chance in life against the odds and with Munro’s usual unexpected surprises.

posted May 6, 2010 at 2:10PM

** stars. Again I am not a fan of unrelated short story collections. Often a better title for this book might be Too Much Despair.

posted Mar 3, 2013 at 4:01PM

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