You Have a Friend in 10A

Once again, we are treated to the talent, wit, and compassion for the human experience that shines through all of Maggie Shipstead's work. I was entranced with her long novel from last year, Great Circle, and saw some echoes of a few ideas from that work in selected stories in this collection. As expected, this book of 10 short stories had some that resonated deeper with me than others, in particular the first one of a love triangle on a dude ranch in Montana. Each story is unique, from such diverse settings as the Olympics to a flight in mid-air to Ireland and Paris and themes that range from regret to parental responsibility to meditations on life and love. Shipstead has a masterful command of language and never fails to challenge me to think long and hard about people's lives outside my experience and offer insights into the human condition.