In this story by Mary Lavin, a boy challenges a younger friend to visit a wake to “know” a corpse for the first time The dead man, who had been intellectually challenged since birth, had never had contact with children. The boys agree when his mother invites them to pray over the body, but flee when she asks them to stroke it. The encounter with death not only brings the younger boy closer to his parents but also highlights the grim significance of his family’s nightly prayer. Themes include bravado, death, family, the precious and capricious nature of life. More…

This story from Mary Lavin highlights the isolation, vulnerability and resilience of a recently widowed farmer’s wife. Its major theme is the need to “move on” after the death of a loved one. Having decided to manage the farm herself, she hires a neighbor to “top” (trim) the long grass in her fields. The neighbor visits that night seeking to defer the work. She bests him with her knowledge of farming practices and, after rejecting an inappropriate advance, realizes that he is yet to get over a similar loss that occurred many years earlier. Other themes: passion, grief, fear, sexism. More…