Alyson Hagy is a skilled storyteller. Many of the stories in Ghosts of Wyoming (Graywolf Press) feel more like the type that would be told around a campfire than put down on the page, particularly "Superstitions of the Indians." The best of the bunch is the first story in the collection, "Border". It has a more contemporary feel than the other stories, and it sets the tone for a very different collection that the one that Hagy presents. While each story is a good one in its own way, the collection lacks cohesion. A good collection of short stories is bound together by a thematic or stylistic link. Other than being set in the state of Wyoming, there is not much holding these stories together. The inclusion of the ghosts is sometimes literal, sometimes metaphorical. Each story goes off on a different track, and each is written in a different style. This inconsistency is distracting to the reader who is reading the collection from start to finish. Taken separately, however, the stories can be enjoyed for the glimpses they offer into life in Wyoming. Overall, I'm very pleased with what Hagy has to offer, and I look forward to reading more of her work. I do wish this collection had been organized a bit differently, though. ( )