The Alice Stories

by Jesse Lee Kercheval

Wisconsin is not where Alice, a girl raised in Florida, meant to end up. But when she falls in love with Anders Dahl, a descendant of Norwegian farmers born for generations in the same stone farmhouse, she realizes that to love Anders is to settle into a life in Wisconsin in the small house they buy before their daughter, Maude, is born. Together, Alice and Anders move forward into a life of family, friends, and the occasional troubled student until they face their biggest challenge. Winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction, Jesse Lee Kercheval’s The Alice Stories tells the tale of a the pain of loss and the importance of the love of friends in the midst of turmoil. As timely as the news yet informed by rich humor and a deep understanding of human character, the interlinked Alice Stories form a luminous tale of family life.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donna Seaman at Booklist - in a skill I am very jealous of - manages to sum it up in one sentence:

Over the course of 10 beautifully shaped, deeply moving, funny, and utterly surprising linked stories, Kercheval, in prose as sparkling as snow in sunlight, considers how quickly things can stop making sense and how sustaining goodness truly is.

What a great phrase, "how sustaining goodness truly is," and it describes the book perfectly. It is well crafted, enjoyable storytelling that addresses thought provoking themes and serves as an often poignant reminder of the sometimes tragic, often fleeting, but still joyful nature of life.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Probably the best short story collection I've read in the last few years. The last story broke my heart, but I'll probably read the whole book at least once more before I return it to the library.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kercheval has written a deeply compelling novel featuring a very believable family who face familiar but difficult situations with grace. She also captures the seasonal beauty and particular charm of Madison WI.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful cycle of stories set in Madison, WI. I intended to sample before an author reading and downed the whole collection (which moved me to tears at the end.)

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short stories in this book follow the life of one woman, Alice, focusing on a theme of loss. My favorite was "Scarce".

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very uplifting although the end was a surprise.

[Kathy Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book.