Extremely well written with ideas and stories that haunt you for some time after you finish them. Characters that are well developed that you develop a care for. Alyson has put together a great second collection and is deserving of a much larger readership.

Alyson Hagy has done a tremendous job! I've just finished my third reading. --Ron Ruedger

When I finished this book I found myself wondering why I had bothered. The setting is generic; Hagy has not captured the magic that is Keeneland. One wonders whether the "heroine" is capable of sustaining a relationship with ANYone, human or equine - Hagy really wants us to believe that Kerry loves Sunsquall, but since they are never together during the timeframe of the book this is questionable. I found the plot entirely without climax. The book just fades to a stop; there is no ending. Not worth the time, IMO.

Alyson Hagy, Keeneland (Simon and Schuster, 2000)

"Finally," one reviewer raves, "a female character with backbone!" No arguments from this section. In a world of neuroses, obsessions, and "diseases" manufactured by the self-help market in order to sell products-- all of which seem to be exaggerated in modern literary heroines-- it's nice to find a main character of the feminine persuasion who doesn't [care] about any of it. Kerry is a heroine with traits we don't often see in heroines; confused but willing to muddle through, defensive, not angry at the world but not in love with it, either. In short, she's allowed to be a human being, with all the complexity that involves, rather than a cardboard cutout who fits the easy definitions of self-help books (most of which are more fictional than this).

One character, however, does not a book make (in most cases, anyway; I'm sure Jean-Paul Sartre would take exception to that statement). Hagy places her heroine in the opening days of Keeneland's spring meet, newly returned from a stint in New York and a bad separation from her husband. She has no friends per se, but enough acquaintances to get along, making enough money to subsist, at least. But like all communities, it's impossible to stay connected to your former life without it catching up with you, and complications ensue just as things start settling down.

My main problem with the book, in fact my only problem with it, is that Hagy attempted to write to the non-horse crowd by keeping some of the book filled with horse terms whil leaving them out of others; in many cases, it seems she took exactly the wrong turn in deciding what to leave in and what to take out. In most cases, the decisions were understandable, even if they could have been better; I realize someone who's spent a good portioni of their lives around Keeneland isn't likely to notice many of the small details, but it's the details that make Keeneland one of America's finest racetracks. Also, I'd expect someone who exercises horses in the mornings to take a little more note of the actual racing that's gonig on, rather than have it mentioned a few times as background noise. It's possible to write lovingly about the sport and its evirons while still creating a book that's not specifically about horse racing; Bill Barich showed the world that twenty years ago with his brilliant book Laughing in the Hills. Because of this, there were times when the book left me wanting to know more about what was going on around Kerry. After all, it doesn't matter how absorbed you are in your problems, you can't be around a horse race without getting caught up in it.

The book's good points certainly outweigh the bad ones, and it's worth seeking out. ***

Not a book I would ordinarily read.. In my opinion, very well written. This book will keep your interest. The main player being Kerry, you will not necessarily understand her, but you will be anxious to learn what she gets into next. Alyson Hagy brings an attention to detail that bears watching, she is good! It's a short read, give it a try.

I was hoping to find great Outer Banks stories here as that was suggested. Regrettably, I did not find them here. There are definitely better stories of the Outer Banks and surrounding areas. Finished the book wondering why I read it. Try the Charles Whedbee books and David Stick books for OBX stories, both fact & fiction. Wendy Howell Mills & Sarah R. Shaber books are great too! Outer Banks stories by NC folks.

Alyson Hagy continues to improve. I thought "Hardware River" was an improvement over "Madonna on Her Back" when it was released.

These stories are even tighter. It opens with "Sharking," a very good story regarding shark fishing, knowing oneself, relationships, and foolishness. The protagonist doesn't have a hell of a lot going for him yet you continue turning pages to follow his story.

The book ends with "Search Bay," a much longer story that was chosen by Annie Proulx to be included in the Best American Short Stories 1997. It was a well deserved honor. The title story was a finalist for the Mississippi Review Award.

Each of these stories has been published before in both large and small journals.

The material isn't as dark as "Hardware River" was but it covers the same sort of folk: honest, every day people with small, normal problems. They are written about in a way that makes you care about them and their situations. This is the mark of writing that needs to be read.

My advice is to read "Hardware River" (3 Stars), then read this, and follow it up with "Keeneland."

Then start sending letters to the University of Wyoming, imploring Alyson to write faster next time.