by Alice Munro
First published 2007
Carla thinks she wants to escape her marriage, but when the moment arrives, she discovers she cannot bring herself to leave. Her story anchors this collection of eight tales that probe the complexities of intimate relationships. Three stories follow Juliet across different phases of her life as she navigates the emotional turbulence that clouds her closest bonds. Munro populates these pages with women of varying ages and situations, alongside their friends, lovers, parents, and children. Each character springs to life with the clarity of actual neighbors. The stories examine love's capacity for both betrayal and unexpected grace. Munro transforms ordinary moments into revelations about human connection. Her characters face the gap between what they believe they want and what they actually choose. The collection earned international recognition when Pedro Almodóvar adapted several stories for his film Julieta. These tales capture the weight of decisions that seem small but reshape entire lives.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, slice-of-life
Setting: Canada
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
242 pages · Kindle Edition · Vintage