Through 23 interlocking short stories set in one town in Manitoba, Canadian novelist Birdsell weaves a novel that spans several generations of the Lafreniere family. You'll meet Maurice and his Russian Mennonite wife Mika, their three oldest daughters and a host of other characters. The focus is on the three daughters as they come of age in the 1950s and 60s.  (CND55, $14.95)