The second (and I'm hoping not the last) of author Van Reid's short story collections again features whimsical and entertaining tales taking place in various American locales during the 19th century. "The Windmill" features a cantankerous but well-meaning Geology Professor and a trio of unusual women he meets in a countryside. "Mr. Seabury's Grove" is a lovely tale of a young lady and a "hobo" she encounters camping on her family's prodigious grounds. Amidst poems, epigrams and letters, you'll meet characters reprising their roles from the previous volume, including Chicago cop on the beat Thomas Borum O'Toole and Fustianne Mae and her fascinating family in chapters of "The Ongoing Tale" (and I trust it will someday go on). Reid's prose is delightful, wry, observant and revealing, reminiscent of the ways Charles Dickens brought his characters and environments to life. (Some of "The Ongoing Tale" may bring to mind the work of P.G. Wodehouse.) Illustrating the book is the work of nearly a dozen artists (disclaimer: I'm among them), topped off by Jeff Suntala's stunning wraparound cover design. I highly recommend this volume.
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