What a delightful read this was. A collection of short stories that really fly, not because they are "light" but because you are so hungry for more the whole time you are reading.
Ms. Engel has mastered the completely down to earth and practical telling of very compelling stories about people I've never considered (because their lives are both achingly ordinary and far away from my own experiences) but somehow now find entirely relatable.
The author truly and deeply understands humanity, and can paint it for you with near photorealistic detail, but in so few strokes. The efficiency of her writing is stunning and fun.
I highly encourage these stories for anyone who enjoys great character development and authors who are adept as using prose to open windows into the stories of others that are tiny, but somehow provide a very complete view, down to the soul, of the people and happenings therein.
Masterful. A treasure. I believed every word. I'm haunted haha...what else can I say!?
It is not often that I miss characters from short stories, or wonder about them, or need to know more...but I have found myself thinking about the people I met in this book a lot.
TL;DR: read it. Even if you think you don't love collections of short stories...just for the sake of truly, truly excellent writing, read it.
PS: I do not know why this picture is sideways...I have tried to fix it?? It wont fix??
