Away from Her

Away From Her is a stunning collection of nine short stories that deal with the substance of adult life. They draw us immediately into that special place known as Alice Munro Territory - where an unexpected twist or a suddenly recaptured memory can trace the arc of an entire life. An aging couple's relationship is tested as the woman develops Alzheimer's disease and forgets her long years of marriage in the title story "Away from Her." The fate of a strong-minded house-keeper, just entering the dangerous country of old-maid hood, is unintentionally reversed by a practical joke. A college student visiting her aunt and recognizing the family furniture stumbles on a long-hidden secret and its meaning in her own life. A woman recollecting an afternoon's wild lovemaking with a stranger realizes how the memory has changed and sustained her through a lifetime. Personal histories, both complex and simple, unfold in rich detail in this astonishing collection of stories, providing a further reason why Munro is often referred to as "our contemporary Chekhov." The short story "Away from Her" - originally titled "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" in the collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage - is now a major motion picture by Sarah Polley.