The Southern Woman: New and Selected Fiction

I'm reading this now, savouring it, allowing one story a day. The stories are gems, polished without feeling workshopped, elegant without seeming traditional, classics yet not stodgy. Spencer's understanding of the nuances of class are superb, and her settings are evocative, rich and compelling. I've read little Southern fiction and spent even less time below the Mason-Dixon line, but these stories still seem real to me, important, touching and relevant. Highly recommended.