Have re-discovered the joy of short stories - so compact and so admirable. That's to say writing a good short story in some ways harder than writing a novel, although both demand skill. And this collection is written by an author with my name. Yipee!

An interesting collection of short stories about interesting women indeed! :) Sending to zugenia cos it was on her wishlist. Enjoy!

Arrived safely in RI -- that was fast! Thank you, hunnyb.

The cover of this edition of Lee's short stories is slightly misleading. Between the gritty Vogue-ish photo of an elegantly dressed woman's back, the gold script font of the title, and the dominant blurb by Elle Magazine on the back, you'd think you were in for some classy chick lit. What you get instead are a series of expertly crafted, sophisticated literary gems. With precision, control, and deadpan wit, Lee sketches a series of female characters who find themselves at cultural crossroads: ex-patriots living in a new language, cosmopolitan professionals dating across racial lines, first-world citizens figuring out the terms of their status in the greater world, individuals making sense of their various, conflicting cultural legacies. There's not a single weak story in this collection. I particularly enjoyed "Brothers and Sisters Around the World" and "Anthropology."

Received today from zugenia. After hearing you talk about this book when we met, I can't wait to read it! Thank you.

Interesting women, indeed! I found this vastly entertaining, and all the moreso when I remember it was given to me by an Interesting Woman! I thought all of the stories were very strong, but I do wonder about the presence or reference to prostitution in the vast majority of them. I keep thinking the author was trying to make a point with that and I missed it.

Caught at a wonderful dinner with the even more wonderful fsr! I even got to have dinner at an Enclave! Thanks, fsr -- I look forward to reading it. Zugenia's notes on the cover, etc. are *interesting* -- because I thought exactly that when I looked at it.

Can't wait to dig in! hmm. . . in the suitcase, or in the carry-on? That is the question.