I first encountered Jewett's work in American Lit, first year of college, and I really admired the short story we read, and had been meaning to read more of her work. Jewett lived in Maine in the late 1800s; she was the daughter of a doctor, and as a child she accompanied him on his rounds and got to know the people of her region really well. As a writer, she does dialect well enough that you hear the voices in your head but without stumbling over odd spellings, which I think is really hard to do. She writes these beautiful stories of rural life and gentle characters. In some ways this book reminded me of L.M. Montgomery's work (although of course Jewett came first)--Montgomery does something similar in how she captures the atmosphere of her place and the voices of the people she knows and the quaint sounds of small town life. Jewett, though, doesn't have the equivalent of an Anne, and her work has less of the cuteness that Montgomery's work does. Overall these are quiet stories, telling small tales of the joys and sorrows of simple people--but that doesn't make them any less affecting. I teared up several times as I read. Recommended.