I had finished Gary Schanbacher's historical novel, CROSSING PURGATORY, last month and thought I would read this older book of his short stories. In this collection of one 100-page story and eight 20-25 stories, Schanbacher brings out his characters fully and tells his stories fully and beautifully. I think his novel is stronger but both are worth reading.
Gary's from Littleton and his book of short stories follows a family who live in and around Denver... He's a clean and engaging storyteller, with a very good control of detail. My personal favorite involves an old man and his tomato garden.
I know the author and his wife---they are to die for!!! This book is a collection of short stories and a few of the stories have brought some of my co-workers to tears!!!