I loved reading [a:Mary Gordon|2125|Mary Gordon|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]'s novel [b:Spending: A Novel|820711|Spending A Novel|Mary Gordon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178674832s/820711.jpg|1039921] last year, and was eager to find more of her writing. A good friend gave me this book (since I had recommended Spending to her) and the three novellas are definitely examples of Gordon's rhythmic prose and three-dimensional women.

The short stories were sometimes difficult to read because they vascillated between first person and third person or the descriptions of actions were so subtle that I didn't realize what was happening until later. I did enjoy the subtlety sometimes--when I felt I was piecing together a mystery as the character drops a clue along the story of her life.

I connected in some way with all three stories, though didn't wholly relate to any one of the women. That's probabaly the power of Gordon's women; there are universally recognizable traits of women in all of them, but they are all individual creations.

Enjoyed, but rather subdued and dense to recommend to everyone.