In a recent interview, Beattie has discussed the influence of Hemingway on her writing, and over time, he seems to stand out, especially when one considers this volume. The use of seemingly cryptic images and symbols, which of course gain depth and meaning when the story is really read closely, is an obvious shared characteristic.

Thematically too, she is linked to him in her concentration on the dealings between men and women. This volume, like the novel Picturing Will, also features children and does not neglect, as some critics have implied, the "vertical" or intergenerational relationships. In this respect, she departs from her predecessor, although only slightly, as mentorship (not necessarily familial) is also a concern in Hemingway.

No one so far has mentioned James Joyce, but certainly the concern with detail and exact temporal circum stances is very Joycean. What is not like Joyce is...