Brilliant short stories by Munro that dive into the phsyche of the different protagonists, all women based around (or with some history relating to) the Carstairs area of Canada. Skillfully written by Munro, each story develops character and setting immediately and concisely, giving different character threads in each story and as a result showing several sides to each event.

Vandals, based around a couple who live 'off the grid' in a forest area, and The Albanian Virgin, that intersects an old woman's early life with a young bookshop owner, are particular favourites.