“Each character is given the same quiet respect the writer gives to nature. They rise out of the land, share its timelessness . . . No other author today writes such thoughtful, lyrical, and majestic prose.”—Lucia Berlin

“If anyone writes better prose in America I am unaware of it.”—Jim Harrison

“Gilfillan pushes the limits of the short story with a sable brush . . . In no way can these stories be seen as less than universal.”—Philadelphia Inquirer

“Some of the purest, most concentrated ‘fiction’ in American prose literature. Astonishing.”—Booklist

“His poet’s language is carved and dangerous . . . his view is a long, clear one, heartening to find in print.”—New York Times