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MacLaverty's short stories are what I imagine would be penned by an Irish Alice Munro growing up during the Troubles. The domesticity of the settings, the introspection of the characters, the word-painting style of the prose, all lend a timeless quality to these otherwise very specific late-20th century Irish settings. There is a tenderness and richness to these stories that bely their insistently-quotidian nature, a juxtaposition of life-changing moments paired with the small significances of the everyday. The range of his stories and the depth of his characters are consistently fulfilling and nourishing.

My heart is so full.

Aside: This unassumingly dazzling book includes five previous collections: Secrets, A Time to Dance, The Great Profundo, Walking the Dog, Matters of Life and Death. It is almost criminal how unfairly lowly-rated they currently are. ( )

These stories - set mostly in Northern Ireland and Scotland's west coast - are consistently entertaining and impressive. I had previously read MacLaverty's novels Grace Notes and Cal, both of which I enjoyed immensely, so I had high expectations and I wasn't disappointed. Highly recommended for fans of Irish literature. ( )