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Half Wild Stories by Robin MacArthur

This book made my summer. With the stories all taking place in rural Vermont, the author hikes us through the woods of short stories that astound the reader with their range, power, and the author’s precise language. The title refers to all of us as we wrestle to balance our commitment to civilization with our commitment to our more animal instincts. “My mother has cleaned houses,” MacArthur writes, “waitressed, logged, gardened, trained horses, hammered nails, groomed dogs, hung sheetrock, and killed other peoples’ livestock for a living. It’s made her body crooked, wrinkled, callous, bent.” Who is the author talking about, dear reader? Your mother.

Mary, Breakwater Books, Guilford