Notwithstanding: Stories from an English Village by Louis de Bernieres
I spotted this paperback at my local bookstore and picked it up, not expecting much at all. What I got was a wonderful collection of short stories about a fictional village in England called Notwithstanding. Each chapter is another story about someone who lives in or around the village. I spent some time trying to figure out the time frame, but eventually gave up when I realized that there was no firm time frame; rather the families and stories remained the same and lent a familiar air to other stories. I got a sense of the history of this village being knitted together each time I started another tale. The stories range from humorous, to sad, to tender, to simply fond memories about people and events. Some of my favorites: Mrs. Mac and her ghostly husband; Colonel Barkwell and his disastrous dinner (was the fish bad?), the beautiful house that a young man never wants to leave; the big fish that must be caught in order to save the baby bi...