The Best American Short Stories of 2003, edited by Walter Mosley, 2003

Seven stories listened to in the car on the back and forth to VT this weekend were quite wonderful.  Baby Wilson, by E.L. Doctorow about the outcome of a newborn baby kidnapping (happy ending!); Heaven Lake by Jess Row, a moving story about a young Chinese immigrant student who is mugged while delivering takeout and his much older self trying to raise two teen age daughters; Kavita Through Glass by Emily Ishem Raboteau, a tale about a young Indian couple, a pregnancy, an art class, and misunderstood feelings; Coins, by Mona Simpson, about a Phillipina nanny and her young Ricardo; Every Tongue Shall Confess, by ZZ Packer, about an RN and her church and her attempts to save a jazz musician; Space by Kevin Brockmeier about a father and son shortly after their wife/mother dies; Shamengwa, by Louise Erdrich, about a violin, a young sociopath and the healing power of music and family.  These were all gripping, moving, and beautifully wrought stories reminding me of why I should always have a volume of short stories going.