This collection’s title is taken from its first story, a novella, which is followed by four shorter tales, all expertly and sensitively drawn. Story 1, “The Heir,” concerns an inheritance as told from the point of view of the heir, an unmarried middle-aged man. Its subtitle, “A Love Story,” is not a reference to another person but to the inheritance. Story 2, “The Christmas Party,” tells of a longtime family alienation and separation followed by a shocking reunion. Story 3, “Patience,” is a touching tale of an apparently “comfortable” marriage, but where the husband tends to lapse into his secret memories of a long-past love. The title is the name both of a version of Solitaire that his wife often plays and of her coping with her husband’s curious mental absences. Story 4, “Her Son,” is the poignant story of an aging mother eagerly planning for the future with her long-absent son, now returning but with his own private ideas. Story 5, “The Parrot,” is a short allegory about the unremitting need for freedom. ( Lee Smalley)