Starting Over: Stories
*Starred Review* Spencer’s first work of fiction, a novel titled Fire in the Morning, was published in 1948, and, as affirmed by her new collection of short fiction, these many years have not dulled the sharpness of her prose nor inched her into out-of-date perceptions of the world. Grand dame of southern letters that Spencer is, she remains a vital, passionate, contemporary-issues writer. She writes especially well about lives ostensibly like anyone’s neighbors, but, like everyone’s neighbors, peculiarities lurk behind closed doors. Take, for example, “On the Hill,” about a couple who live just outside town, new to the area but already known for throwing great parties. Suspicions among the neighbors are aroused when the husband is spotted leaving a church thought kooky by the local Episcopalians. Invitations to parties at their house dry up, and their young son starts wandering away, bizarrely visiting other houses. Abruptly, the family moves away, leaving behind an unresolvable sense of mystery as to the family’s true situation. This story is not alone in the collection in showing the control and ease of a master; each story has superb qualities of artistry and social relevance. --Brad Hooper