I enjoy Willa Cather's novels, so when I spotted this collection of short stories at a local charity book sale, I had to snap it up.

Having read a couple of Cather's books and enjoyed them, I was interested in reading this collection of short stories when the title fit the reading theme for the month (numbers). The stories were an interesting cross-section of her style and I finally decided the thing that linked them all was the concept of a defining space in one's life. The first story is a legendary place spoken of by boys around a campfire. The second story is discovery of an ancient cliff-dwelling city in the desert Southwest which becomes the passion of the main character. The third, my favorite story, Neighbor Rossicky, deals with a farmer's love of the land for its own sake and for the way it grounds his family. The fourth (also very good), The Best Years, talks about the place in life where we are struggling to define ourselves as the best part of us. And the last story dealt with a confused young man whose ideal space was the world of wealth and privilege he wanted to occupy simply for the feeling of it and not for the material things it would bring. All interesting.

This book went with me when I was getting my blood work done this morning. Hopefully it finds a friend.

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My first wild catch!! I haven't been active on bookcrossing in a long while... went in for a blood draw, and was so surprised and excited to see a bookcrossing sticker winking at me from the corner of the waiting room. ;) fun!