Love always finds a way. Take, for example, Ponty Bayswater. Soon after returning from World War II, he marries his first love, Juliette Whitaker. Their marriage is happy and lasts decades. However, Juliette’s death leaves a gaping wound in Ponty’s soul. Yet, despite his advanced age, he soon finds himself a new love – his old war buddy George Chesapeake.

Such are the twists and turns in STAY WITH ME, WISCONSIN, a remarkable collection of short stories by JoAnneh Nagler. Her tales are sometimes silly, at times sad, and occasionally quite sensual. But more than anything, they are tender, mature, and humane. The protagonists of Nagler’s tales are fascinating. There’s David, brave enough to climb Mount Everest, yet an utter mess in his relationships. There’s Claire Rose, who suffers the most horrific loss a mother can experience. There’s police officer Delbert, baking cakes as he learns to move on from a past tragedy. Their backgrounds may be disparate, but all of these characters struggle with love and loss. These are, of course, two sides of the same coin. To appreciate someone and have that feeling returned is a miracle. However, the heights of love are rivaled only by the depths of sadness one feels after losing a loved one.

Fear of change represents another significant theme in STAY WITH ME, WISCONSIN. Change is difficult – it is uncomfortable, unpredictable, unknown. But, as Nagler shows, this fear is relative. What some of her protagonists avoid, others crave. While some characters are anxious about committing to a relationship, others are scared of ending up alone. Maximilian is a son of immigrants who flee Mexico pursuing a better future. Meanwhile, Elise rebuilds her life after her husband’s death by moving from the United States to Mexico. Early in the book, one of the characters talks about “ordinary bravery”, defining it as “what it takes to keep on living.” STAY WITH ME, WISCONSIN is a collection of stories about ordinary bravery. They describe small, everyday wonders and do so with warmth and compassion. It is clear JoAnneh Nagler genuinely cares about her characters. Long before you reach the final story, readers will too.

STAY WITH ME, WISCONSIN by JoAnneh Nagler is a remarkable collection of tales – compassionate, uplifting, and deeply humane.

~Danijel Štriga, for IndieReader