Notwithstanding

British writer Louis de Bernières (Corelli's Mandolin, The Dust That Falls from Dreams) sets 22 short stories in the fictional British village Notwithstanding--an idyllic, rural small town from days gone by, where everyone knows everyone else.

De Bernières elevates the ordinary by focusing on a variety of subjects and locales--the young and old; townies and outcasts; a menagerie of animals; manor houses and farmhouses; maids, gardeners, squires and reverends; even a high-minded retired general with a disregard for clothing; and nuns with poor driving habits. One story is about the lengths taken by a little boy to curb the obsessive tendencies of his beloved retriever. Gleeful Christmas carolers--whom some in town don't find so merry--change the course of estranged neighbors' lives. A widowed romance writer agrees to a temporary pet-sitting job that leads to dire consequences. A rector is mysteriously summoned to minister last rites to a man who is clearly not dying. A spider in a potting shed becomes the town's confidante. Two unsuspecting souls--musicians--become kindred spirits when a broken-down car brings them together. Townsfolk treat a local medium, whose way of life is literally out of this world, with tender respect.

These and other quirky eccentrics infuse this collection of atmospheric, comforting stories that depict a rustic, nostalgic side of English culture. De Bernières has preserved once-typical ways of life with gentle humor--offering several story conclusions filled with poignant twists and themes that are timeless. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

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