Maril Crabtree's Reviews > Bad Kansas: Stories

Let's face it - the mark of a good storyteller is that the stories could be set anywhere, because they're such good stories. This describes Mandelbaum's stories: they're intriguing and they could have happened anywhere. Her characters are interesting and "real" in that Mandelbaum captures their essence and you find yourself nodding your head in agreement. These stories and their characters will stick in my memory. It's a bonus that I live in Kansas and every now and then I get to nod my head at some characterization of the state and its inhabitants that is also right-on (one of her characters says the "governor is a madman" which has been true for the last 7 years!).