Chosen because it was instrumental in Ann Patchett's writing of "These Precious Days", and then there it was on the library shelf. Honestly, I'm perplexed as to what the fuss was about. These are pleasant enough, curiously old-fashioned stories, and not just because they hark back to the past (although they mostly do). I hate to be churlish but to me they felt like stories written by someone who doesn't read a lot of contemporary short fiction. ?