The Mourning Door by Elizabeth Graver

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries there were in some homes what was known as the mourning door. Usually situated near the parlor, this door would allow for a cart to back up to it and a casket to be slid out right onto the cart. In this picture to the right you can see a 1720 house behind an old stone wall, with center chimney, rare window panes, overhang and side coffin door.

This is a story of a woman and her husband, Tom, who move into an old home. They find out about this extra door attached to the side of their house which has no steps leading to it, but rather has an abrupt ledge. The woman, unfortunately, cannot get pregnant but rather spends her time thinking about the baby that might be. She begins to discover "baby" parts that she sews back together. At the end of the story she exits the house through the mourning door to bury the baby. A very moving and powerful story about life and death.

Labors of the Heart by Claire Davis

Clarence John Softitch: Morbidly Obese 5'8" and 482 lbs. "Morbidly. As in deadly, not sadly, which is the way he's preferred to construe it." Clarence meets and falls madly in love with his new neighbor, Rose Spencer who is just getting over her 3rd divorce. A wonderfully written story of the loss of love of one and the ever yearning for loving affection of another. A must read!

The Apple Tree by Trevenian

Once upon a time there were two widow neighbors named widow Etcheverrigary and Madame Utuburu. These two neighbors were the most ferocious of competitors especially when it came to their gardens and their sons. One day there is an unofficial competition for the one who could pick the most apples from their shared apple tree. A wall runs the length of their shared property line which only would allow each woman to reach so far to get apples. One of the widows dies because both were determined to prove their piety while attending a funeral of another friend during a terrific rainstorm. Here they were, the last two standing at the grave, unable to look at the other and unable to make the first move toward home for fear of "losing". Eventually the priest ends up dragging them both away...
A wonderfully delightful fable that will not be easily forgotten!

My Mother's Garden by Katherine Shonk

The name of the city is never mentioned, but it is unmistakably the story of the Chernobyl disaster. 3 generations are represented in the story: The grandmother who doesn't believe what she can't see; the Mom who goes to visit the grandmother but can't convince her to leave; and the daughter (granddaughter) who believes that her grandmother left her because she hates her (granddaughter). An American scientist helps the grandmother to see the effect of the accident. The Mom feels guilty for taking her daughter outside on the day after the accident (the girl's 1st birthday). She spends her time protecting her daughter from the dangers of the nuclear disaster. A powerfully moving story about generational gaps as well as communication gaps.