Managing Just Fine

Susan Patrick is a librarian at the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.

Author of the award-winning collection, Raspberry Vinegar, the stories
here—in this, Shaw’s latest collection—though written mainly in
the first person and set in Toronto, have very different voices and
varied characters, ranging from teenage girls catching a first glimpse
of the adult world to a middle-aged man and elderly women who look back
on their lives. These characters are survivors, although they may not
always quite “manage just fine” from an outsider’s point of view;
still, they face life’s problems and look to the future with a
matter-of-fact (and often gently self-deprecating) sense of humor and
determination, leaving the reader feeling optimistic about the human
spirit in the face of life’s daily struggles.