4540. the Egg Lady and Other Neighbors, by Tricia Currans-Sheehan (read 23 Feb 2009) This book consists of eleven short stories and is a most remarkable book. The stories are vivid, some very stark, and all memorable. I cannot say there is a failure in the book--11 stories, many farm-related or small-town Iowa related, most with a Catholic relationship. The characters in the stories are often most non-reluctant to say the most indiscreet or blunt things. "The Balers" and "Margaret" are bitter vignettes of cramped farm life, but there are stories such as "The Man with the Leopard Wallpaper" and "Called for Action" and "The Secrets that Men Have" which are heart-warming and extremely memorable. This book is a delight and I recommend it to anyone--not only to those who have a connection to Iowa rural Catholic life. ( )