RaveThe Times Literary Supplement (UK)...an enticing collection of forty tales ... Readers are offered a kaleidoscopic view of different female identities and male perceptions of them—some objectionable, others deeply touching ... A few stories focus on childhood, with captivating effect ... Each story is preceded by a short introduction by Lahiri ... Informative and peppered with anecdotes, the sketches outline the authors’ lives, education, travels, name changes and career paths, offering a concise introduction to the themes and style of their work, and the story at hand ... These are excellent renderings ... The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories, which has also been published in Italian, successfully offers a \'portrait of Italy that reflects its reality,\' and that reality is multi- faceted. The tales are by turns startling, moving, intriguing and provocative; they bring melancholy, humor and a dose of the uncanny.
