I was unprepared for how moving, brilliantly and sensitively written, and enjoyable this collection would be. I mean, I liked "The Beggar Maid" and all, and that's why I decided to read another book of Munro's, but after this I feel like I should just read it all of her works. The closing story, about the 19th century mathematician expatriate Sophia Kovalevsky, completely overwhelmed my expectations.