The American Lover by Rose Tremain

Rose Tremain awakens the senses in this magnificent and diverse collection of short stories.

Trapped in a London apartment, Beth remembers a transgressive love affair in 1960s Paris. The most famous writer in Russia takes his last breath in a stationmaster’s cottage, miles from Moscow. A young woman who is about to marry a rich aristocrat instead begins a torrid relationship with a construction worker. A father, finally free of his daughter’s demands, embarks on a long swim from his Canadian lakeside retreat. A middle-aged woman cares for her injured mother at Christmas. And in the grandest house of all, Danni the Polish housekeeper catches the eye of an enigmatic visitor, Daphne du Maurier. 

As usual with short story collections I enjoyed some stories more than others. 

My favourite was A View of Lake Superior in the Fall. It was about a couple in their 70's running away from home to their cabin on Lake Superior when their 42 year old daughter returned home to 'look after them.'

I prefer Rose Tremain's full length novels.