From Publishers Weekly
The characters in these 11 short stories have hearts that are startled or weighed down by the responsibilities of love, or which are gnawed by hidden hate and cruelty. PW wrote that Munro offers "a freshness of vision, a breadth of sympathy and a wide-ranging imagination." Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
A prize-winning Canadian author, Munro has been praised for such works as The Moons of Jupiter ( LJ 5/15/83) and The Beggar Maid ( LJ 10/1/79). Her new collection of 11 stories thoughtfully explores the themes of self-knowledge and love. Families, friends, eccentrics, loversthe characters all bear the marks and burdens of unpredictable individualism and humanity. Girlish friendship and imaginings end in betrayal, estrangement, and self-revelation over the years in "Jesse and Meribeth." A small-town nurse in "Eskimo" unveils layers of female obligation and the complexities of love when trying to befriend a young girl on a plane to Tahiti. "A Queer Streak" has about it the satisfying subtlety, wholeness, and horror of legend. An accomplished collection. Mary Soete, San Diego P.L., Cal.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"One of the foremost contemporary practitioners of the short story."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Alice Munro is a born teller of tales."--The Washington Post

"Throughout this remarkable collection moments of insight flash from the pages like lightning, not necessarily providing answers--more likely showing the way to new questions."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

Review
"One of the foremost contemporary practitioners of the short story."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Alice Munro is a born teller of tales."--The Washington Post

"Throughout this remarkable collection moments of insight flash from the pages like lightning, not necessarily providing answers--more likely showing the way to new questions."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

From the Inside Flap
Alice Munro, who received the National Book Critics Circle Award for her latest collection of stories, The Love of a Good Woman, is widely acknowledged as a modern master of the short story. In this earlier collection, she demonstrates all of those strengths that have won her so many literary accolades.

A divorced woman returns to her childhood home where she confronts the memory of her parents' confounding yet deep bond. The accidental near-drowning of a child exposes the fragility of the trust between children and parents. A young man, remembering a terrifying childhood incident, wrestles with the responsibility he has always felt for his younger brother. In these and other stories Alice Munro proves once again a sensitive and compassionate chronicler of our times. Drawing us into the most intimate corners of ordinary lives, she reveals much about ourselves, our choices, and our experiences of love.

About the Author
Alice Munro has published nine short story collections and a novel.  She and her husband divide their time between Clinton, Ontario, and Comox, British Columbia.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Alice Munro, who received the National Book Critics Circle Award for her latest collection of stories, The Love of a Good Woman, is widely acknowledged as a modern master of the short story. In this earlier collection, she demonstrates all of those strengths that have won her so many literary accolades.

A divorced woman returns to her childhood home where she confronts the memory of her parents' confounding yet deep bond. The accidental near-drowning of a child exposes the fragility of the trust between children and parents. A young man, remembering a terrifying childhood incident, wrestles with the responsibility he has always felt for his younger brother. In these and other stories Alice Munro proves once again a sensitive and compassionate chronicler of our times. Drawing us into the most intimate corners of ordinary lives, she reveals much about ourselves, our choices, and our experiences of love.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal