Ellen Gilchrist: Collected Stories

The characters in her fiction are rich, complex, redeemed and willful. Nora is brave as she faces her pregnancy alone and gives birth to twins virtually on her own, Miss Crystal is a loveable and willful alcoholic who is much more than her behavior illustrates, Freddy is a hopeless and loyal romantic, and Traceleen is my personal favorite with narrations that are vivid and heart-warming. These southern ladies are innovative, eccentric, in pursuit of love and on the rebound from past loves. They are survivors and embody all that makes the South such an interesting place to live. In the vein of Eudora Welty, Gilchrist is a fresh and inspiring voice.