The Tangled Threads

A mother's long desire for music takes an unexpected turn in the opening story of this collection. Hester Martin, a widow supporting three children, has saved small coins for years so that her daughter Penelope can take piano lessons. Penelope first hopes for a doll, while Hester listens eagerly to each lesson and begins trying the exercises herself. The rented piano brings a private pleasure into a life crowded with household work and careful economies.

Eleanor H. Porter's short stories place family feelings beside the small events of ordinary life. In the excerpt from 'The Lady in Black,' Helen's grief for Kathleen strains her exchanges with her husband and young Bobby. At the cemetery, another woman's care for a child's grave opens a conversation about loss and sympathy. Readers interested in domestic stories will find concrete scenes of parental hopes, children's wishes, and the difficulty of understanding another person's sorrow.