"Vanishing, and Other Stories"

As a former Canadian who still feels quite connected to Canada, I am always glad to find and read fiction by Canadian writers. In the case of "Vanishing, and Other Stories" (Harper Perennial, 2009), there is the added interest factor that the stories are set on Vancouver Island, where I have relatives, and which I visited a couple of years ago for the first time in a long time. We enjoyed our visits with relatives, and were struck again by the beauty of the island. The author, Deborah Willis, works in a bookstore in Victoria, as she writes about in an interesting interview at the end of the book. She also cites fellow Canadian Alice Munro as her biggest influence, and that influence is definitely discernible in these stories. As readers of this blog know, Munro is one of my most-treasured writers. The stories in "Vanishing" are intriguing, very readable, and revealing about the complexities of (mostly young) people's lives and relationships. Willis is particularly insightful about family relationships, and about the things we know and don't know about our family members. Of course Willis doesn't fill Munro's very big shoes -- who does? -- and her stories lack Munro's stories' absolute groundedness and solidity. But they are strong, rewarding, and enjoyable stories. I am very glad that I have read them, and will look out for her future fiction.