This Life She's Chosen

By Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum

Book Overview

"Kirsten Lunstrum's stories are gem stones, multi-faceted, highly polished, more and more complicated the closer you look," says Pam Houston. Each finely tuned story in this remarkable debut collection captures a pivotal moment in the life of a woman trying to reconcile past expectations with present, usually unplanned, developments. In the title story, a woman who decided she really should be French visits her married daughter, who once again becomes tangled in a web of lies and disapprovals. In "Picnic," a new spin on family politics emerges during an outing with mysterious Aunt Vivian. In "The Virtuoso," a young violin prodigy's talent disrupts the harmony of her teacher and his wife. Bringing to mind the work of Elizabeth Bishop and Alice Munro, Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum's stories form a sophisticated and graceful collection.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811845133
• ISBN13: 9780811845137
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 191 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

lovely for an afternoon in a hammock

I'm not an avid reader, and I typically prefer non-fiction, but I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I do read the short stories in the New Yorker to keep me exposed to new writers and styles. These short stories are great for an afternoon when you want to drift into another life for a spell. I finished them in one lazy, summer weekend. I like how they lingered in my mind. I highly recommend them.

Unexpected, Fresh, and Strong

First-time author Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum's "This Life She's Chosen" is far from anything I might normally pick up for pleasure reading, but after hearing Ms. Lunstrum read at a bookstore near my home, I couldn't resist. The subtle elegance of her prose, the tension and complexity she earns from seemingly simple character relationships, and the narrative control she exhibits throughout this collection form an engaging, memorable read. The book actually delivers on Pam Houston's ecstatic jacket blurb. Look for this author to have a long, successful career.