I often think of Curtis Sittenfeld as the author of short stories for people who don’t typically read short stories (i.e. me!). Her stories are accessible, the world-building extensive, and the messages profound. This collection is no different. The protagonists – mostly female – feel familiar, and all canvas that liminal space between college and adulting.

Some protagonists are reflecting back on a significant time in the past with the benefit of hindsight; others have their contemporary worlds rocked by the appearance of someone or something from the past. The opening stories and the final story are the strongest.

I particularly recommend The Richest Babysitter in the World and Lost but Not Forgotten if you like to dip into and out of short story collections. Recommended for Sittenfeld and short story fans.