"Show Don't Tell" | Reviewed by William Winkler

American author (Elizabeth) Curtis Sittenfeld, born in Cincinnati, has spent the majority of her years in the Midwest, except for her high school years at a private boarding school near Boston, and her college studies at Vassar and Stanford.

She has published seven novels and two short story collections, including her most recent book, “Show, Don’t Tell.” This collection, based largely in the Midwest, focuses on the lives of women from their college years into midlife. It includes autobiographical elements such as a 30th reunion of her class at Ault, a fictional version of the Groton school in Massachusetts.

Sittenfeld lived in St. Louis for at least a decade, a period of her life that is described in several of her stories.

Themes running through this collection include the stresses of living in a long-established marriage relationship, the stresses of maintaining an even keel during challenging college years, and re-establishing long lost acquaintances.

The classic short story formula involves a character who wants or needs something, strives to attain or achieve it, is thwarted in the process, and finally succeeds. The stories in “Show, Don’t Tell,” allude to this scheme on occasion, but more often engage the reader with skillful character development and believable dialog. Most of the stories are contained within a brief period of time, days or weeks at the most.

Those who have read Sittenfeld’s previous works will find this book a welcome addition to her canon. Those who are new to her writing may well be enticed to seek out her earlier publications.

Buy the Book.