Alice Munro forms a few family stories into tales of fiction.

_________SPOILERS AHOY______________

As someone who is interested in family history, I think it says something that I thought this book was dry. The stories were well told, but I as a reader wasn't with a character long enough to invest in any of them. Generally when a collection of stories is put into a book there is an overarching theme to them, some message the author wants to convey. This book just felt like rambling.

I have a feeling this book didn't do very well commercially because the edition I read has a picture of a woman sunbathing on a bright pink towel. I may be wrong, but I can't remember any character that went anywhere near a beach. Fox farms, long days of farming Ontario lands, the journey on a ship from Ireland all come to mind when I think of what I've read. No beaches. I would have never thought this book would be family folk tales based on the cover.