I reread this book for a Bennington Banner Book Marks column and glad I did.  MacArthur, born and now living in Marlboro, writes about life in a small town in Vermont where the characters are primarily women whose dreams haven’t been realized and who are stuck in that special, beautiful, and failing place.  From Cora whose grandson Kevin is committing hate crimes to Vale whose boyfriend is dealing drugs, from Hannah who returns to care for her dying mother, Joan, to Clare who finally escapes after a broken Jack returns from Viet Nam, these are stories about sad, strong women trying to get by and find happiness in a difficult place.  Stories worth re-reading.