My favourite stories in the collection are "Standing up for Janey," in which a young couple that shouldn't get married plans to get married, causing one maid of honour and one very suspicious ex-boyfriend to come to terms with their own lost loves-- for each other, for the couple in question, and even for themselves--, and "Prognosis" a kind of open letter from a daughter-in-law to the mother of her husband, where apologies and tensions are worked out amongst a series of miracles (a mysterious crying ear and the visage of Virgin Mary in a supermarket apple) and academics ("the epistemological diversity of current Catholic theologins" (141)). All in all, a fast read, a very Canadian read (consider, in the story "Where are You Coming From, Sweethart?" these references: "The Big Smoke," "the Beer Store," "the CNE," "a guy who knew the Tragically Hip," "the bong-and-incense store on Queen Street," "Metric t-shirt," Fluevog Mary Janes," and to top it off, "a Roots bag"), and an incredibly enjoyable read.
Goes perfectly with a glass of Osoyoos LaRose.
