Runaway: A Collection of Stories

In 14 realistic stories set in the rural American West, Blew ( Lambing Out ) casts a candid but sympathetic eye on characters coming to terms with themselves and their family heritage. ``College Bound 1957'' features a high school senior who overcomes the scornful sexism of her counselor and wins a university scholarship. ``Album'' relates how a liberated young woman who views the narrow lives of her elderly female relatives with disdain has her assumptions shaken when they guide her through the past with a look at the family photo album. In ``I Beat the Midget,'' a boy driven beyond endurance by his father and a pony who won't be broken is horrified to discover the violence buried in his character. ``Sample's Crossing'' ends with a young man's sense of loss as he realizes that his family memories are waning with the passing years. The title story describes a nun who returns to the ranch where she grew up, hoping that her confrontation with the life she renounced will lead to reconciliation. (May)