In this collection of interlinked stories, Gretchen Shirm makes the fictional town of Kinsale and its residents come alive. The 15 stories dissect all the elements of small-town life – secrets, resentments, jealousies, tragedies. Friends since childhood, Alice and Grace seem to be drifting apart, but within months they are reunited by unexpected events. A mother protects her son from the consequences of a night out, without them ever speaking about it. Another woman is torn between her adult son who is travelling overseas, and the husband who increasingly distances himself from both of them. A man who cannot reconcile his past with the life he lives now takes a risk to discover who he really is.

Sydney author Shirm’s debut is impressive. She paints vivid portraits of characters that cross gender and life span. The characters are portrayed empathically, but realistically. They have their rough corners, fears, and they make plenty of mistakes. This collection is reminiscent of Patrick Cullen’s What Came Between and is as intricately woven as Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge.