Ocean State Libraries

Anne Davis has returned to the house where she grew up, trading her glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for a harsh winter on a wind-whipped New England island. Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant shelter, security, family and love. When she awakens one snowy night to a fire that roars through the old house, Anne escapes—but runs back into the blaze to...

In the title story, a young girl-out walking with her only friend, a cow named Mistress Moolly-finds the nest of a rare bird. When a handsome young hunter passes by, she must decide whether or not to reveal the nest to him. Other charming, luminous stories of New England village life include "The Gray Man," "Farmer Finch," "Marsh Rosemary," "The Dulham Ladies," and more.

Furniture specialist Maggie Hammond inherits a house on a New England island and becomes involved in the community. The characters include a sheriff and his abused wife, a dog trainer, a promiscuous nurse and an ecologist to whom Maggie is attracted.

"Linked stories ... of a young New England woman whose life must begin afresh after divorce. Traveling the roads of Maine and the train tracks of Grand Central Station, moving from vast shorelines to unmade beds of strangers, these fourteen stories circle the dreams of a narrator who finds herself turning to storytelling as a means of working through the world and of understanding herself"--Page 4 of cover.

Selections from "Little Women", "Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag" and other writings.

"For generations, children around the world have come of age with Louisa May Alcott's March girls: hardworking eldest sister Meg, headstrong, impulsive Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. With their father away at war, and their loving mother Marmee working to support the family, the four sisters have to rely on one another for support as they endure the hardships of wartime and poverty. We witness the sisters growing up and figuring out what role...