Fireman's Wife and Other Stories

224 pp. "The epigraph for this collection of ten stories is a brief quotation from Keats -- 'Happy love, more happy, happy love.' Bausch does indeed portray the joys of marriage and family life, but he also reveals the pain lurking just below the surface. In 'Wedlock' the levity of a honeymoon night suddenly turns mean. In 'Equity' three adult daughters must cope with a senile mother who previously supported them through divorces, nervous breakdowns, and other crises. Most of the stories have contemporary urban settings, but 'Old West' is a retelling of the Shane story that takes away all of the legendary gunfighter's heroism. Bausch's well-crafted stories should have wide appeal. Bausch is the author of Take Me Back, which received a Pen/Faulkner Award Citation, plus numerous other novels, including the recent Mr. Field's Daughter. His latest story collection was Spirits and Other Stories." -- Library Journal CONTENTS: Wedlock; Old West; Design; The Fireman's Wife; Consolation; The Brace; The Eyes of Love; Luck; Equity; Letter to the Lady of the House.