From Publishers Weekly The protagonists of the 13 sensitive, well-crafted stories in Furman's new collection are mainly women who lead solitary inner lives even when they are involved in intimate relationships. Most live in the country, or in the suburbs of cities in Texas or New England; many are committed vegetarians; in several stories, rain is pervasive, and in each of them, the atmosphere is muted and melancholy. For all of these women, the future is frighteningly unclear, and they all must come to terms with loss and longing. Miriam, the narrator of "Hagalund," the most complex and satisfying story, looks back at a time 20 years ago when she fled to Sweden to escape a broken heart, and lived with American draft protestors against the Vietnam war. Furman deftly recreates the political activism, casual drug use and hand to mouth existence of this small community, while depicting Miriam's decision to move to another stage of her life. Another painful epiphany that opens the door to freedom sways Deborah, the questing heroine of "The Apprentice," who seeks clues from an artist on how to pursue her career, and discovers a more fundamental truth. Though a few of the narratives are stretched thin by their heroine's caution or inertia, in the main Furman's quiet observations of lonely lives ring true, and she establishes a small universe of people looking for connection but unable to escape the bonds of self-doubt. Fans of Furman's previous novels (Tuxedo Park) and collections (The Glass House) will enjoy this work, and booksellers would do well to recommend it to readers seeking fiction that depends on adroit characterization rather than flashy denouements. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Review "Furman is especially brilliant at capturing the moment when self-deceit begins to crumble, making this a refreshingly truthful and illuminating set of stories. Furman is respected among writers, but this matter-of-fact collection should make her better-known among readers."--Marta Salij (Marta Salij ) About the Author LAURA FURMAN is the distinguished author of a memoir, Ordinary Paradise; two novels, TuxedoPark and The Shadow Line; two short story collections, The Glass House and Watch Time Fly. She is co-editor, with Elinore Standard, of Bookworms: Great Writers and Readers Celebrate Reading. Her fiction and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Mirabella, House & Garden, GQ, Ploughshares, Southwest Review, Threepenny Review, Yale Review, Glamor and others. She was the founding editor of American Short Fiction, and has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Dobie-Paisano Fellowship. She has received the Jesse H. Jones Award for fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. She and her husband, Joel Warren Barna, and their son make their home in Austin, Texas.