it took me forever to finish this and I don't know why, every story in it was gorgeous and instantly my favourite. ( )

Each story is based around the relationship a character has with animals. I think if I hadn't read the author's bio, where she admits to being married to a vet, the stories would have felt more interesting to me. The way it was, it sometimes seemed like the author was just using terms of art she gleaned from her family without taking the story much farther. Other stories, though, were more engaging and unique. I think her style would lend itself well to a novel, where she could take an idea and run with it rather than re-using the same ideas and themes in short stories. ( )

An astonishingly good collection of short stories. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. ( )

What a wonderful read. I wanted each story to be its own novel. The characters were very compelling and I loved the touch of nature and womanhood that ran through each story. I will eagerly await its arrival in my bookstore and promote it endlessly to those looking for a memorable reading experience. ( )

The finest debut fiction collection I have ever read. (And I just said that about another collection earlier this year but it's true.) Read it twice on back to back Saturdays. ( )