I found this good-condition softcover at a local Savers thrift shop, and nabbed it for the upcoming Canada release challenge. (Just got back from a wonderful trip to Quebec, so I'm in a Canadian mood!)

This is a reprint of the 1960 edition, so all the stories here date from the '50s and earlier - as far back as 1895. The comments from the editor, Robert Weaver, about the generally-rural character of the stories made it clear how much has changed in Canadian fiction - many of my favorite Canadian authors write about urban characters and issues, though there's a wealth of fantasy/SF and historical fiction as well.

These stories range from light-hearted whimsy to bleak tragedy, often with winter as one of the main characters. Among the more amusing was "The Marine Excursion," which seemed to be about a tragic steamboat sinking, until the narrator makes it clear that the body of water is so shallow that "sinkings" are the equivalent of getting a flat tire {wry grin}.

On the more grim side, "The Painted Door" is about a lonely farm wife who's afraid of being left alone during a blizzard while her husband sets out to see his father. Events take some twists and turns, and there's a very chilling stinger at the end.

I left this book in the LFL in the waiting area at around 2; hope the finder enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2017 Canada Days release challenge. ***