Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Harding-Davis:
On the one hand, I loathe this story because it is so bleak, but on the other hand, this story is not only one of the best examples of Realism and industrialism in American literature, but it also has a lot to say about the nature of art, the nature of artists, and where and how art comes from, and also manages to cover the Nature of Humanity 101.

Transcendental Wild Oats by Louisa May Alcott:
I feel like the audience’s reaction was probably “HAHA THIS IS HILARIOUS LOOK AT THESE DUMB HIPPIES” but Alcott was like “No seriously this is way too real and needs to stop.” Sister Hope for the Iron Throne?

A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett:
I want to eat Jewett’s words right up. This story is surprisingly magical but in a “Let’s hunt magic down and kill it” sort of way.

A New England Nun by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman:
This is an odd one, about how promises can become cages and the things we think are cages are actually freedoms. I don’t know. I can never decide if I feel bad for Louisa or envious of her.

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman:
I had to read this one for school several times but it was never a chore. This story is terrifying in a quiet, escalating way. I love the juxtaposition between the freedom the character feels at the end and the fact that she’s more trapped than ever before. Perfect.

The Storm by Kate Chopin:
Oh, Kate. I can always count on you for socially heretical sexy adventures in a rainstorm.

The Angel at the Grave by Edith Wharton:
Another story where I’m not sure if we’re supposed to feel hopeful or not at the ending. Lots of sacrifice on the protagonist’s part ends with ambiguous pay-off. Or was she really sacrificing anything? I CAN’T DECIDE.

Paul’s Case by Willa Cather:
Paul takes the line “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women in it merely players” a little TOO SERIOUSLY. I love how it both upholds and condemns the maxim “Money can’t buy happiness.”

The Stones of the Village by Alice Dunbar-Nelson:
A story about passing for what you are not and getting some of what you want but never WHAT YOU NEED.

A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell:
One of my favorite short stories of all time. A man has died and while the male officials investigate, their wives discuss the matter. FLAWLESS. PERFECT. Please read it.

Smoke by Djuna Barnes:
I didn’t really get it but I expect that’s my own fault and not the story’s.

Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston:
I really struggle with reading dialects, but this was a good suspenseful story with a twist and some really good images. Bad marriages and bad snakes. SNAKES, MAN.

Sanctuary by Nella Larsen:
This story gave me chills all over my body. Sometimes you think you’re safe and you realize you’ve picked the absolute worst place to hide ever. This was definitely one of my favorites.
( )

Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Harding-Davis:
On the one hand, I loathe this story because it is so bleak, but on the other hand, this story is not only one of the best examples of Realism and industrialism in American literature, but it also has a lot to say about the nature of art, the nature of artists, and where and how art comes from, and also manages to cover the Nature of Humanity 101.

Transcendental Wild Oats by Louisa May Alcott:
I feel like the audience’s reaction was probably “HAHA THIS IS HILARIOUS LOOK AT THESE DUMB HIPPIES” but Alcott was like “No seriously this is way too real and needs to stop.” Sister Hope for the Iron Throne?

A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett:
I want to eat Jewett’s words right up. This story is surprisingly magical but in a “Let’s hunt magic down and kill it” sort of way.

A New England Nun by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman:
This is an odd one, about how promises can become cages and the things we think are cages are actually freedoms. I don’t know. I can never decide if I feel bad for Louisa or envious of her.

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman:
I had to read this one for school several times but it was never a chore. This story is terrifying in a quiet, escalating way. I love the juxtaposition between the freedom the character feels at the end and the fact that she’s more trapped than ever before. Perfect.

The Storm by Kate Chopin:
Oh, Kate. I can always count on you for socially heretical sexy adventures in a rainstorm.

The Angel at the Grave by Edith Wharton:
Another story where I’m not sure if we’re supposed to feel hopeful or not at the ending. Lots of sacrifice on the protagonist’s part ends with ambiguous pay-off. Or was she really sacrificing anything? I CAN’T DECIDE.

Paul’s Case by Willa Cather:
Paul takes the line “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women in it merely players” a little TOO SERIOUSLY. I love how it both upholds and condemns the maxim “Money can’t buy happiness.”

The Stones of the Village by Alice Dunbar-Nelson:
A story about passing for what you are not and getting some of what you want but never WHAT YOU NEED.

A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell:
One of my favorite short stories of all time. A man has died and while the male officials investigate, their wives discuss the matter. FLAWLESS. PERFECT. Please read it.

Smoke by Djuna Barnes:
I didn’t really get it but I expect that’s my own fault and not the story’s.

Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston:
I really struggle with reading dialects, but this was a good suspenseful story with a twist and some really good images. Bad marriages and bad snakes. SNAKES, MAN.

Sanctuary by Nella Larsen:
This story gave me chills all over my body. Sometimes you think you’re safe and you realize you’ve picked the absolute worst place to hide ever. This was definitely one of my favorites.
( )

I received Great Short Stories by American Women as a Christmas gift several years ago, and it's been languishing on my shelves for a long time. After completing this slim anthology, I wonder why I waited so long.

This anthology contains stories by many renowned female American writers:

• "Life in the Iron-Mills" by Rebecca Harding-Davis


• "Transcendental Wild Oats" by Louisa May Alcott


• "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett


• "A New England Nun" by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman


• "The Yellow Wall-Paper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman


• "The Storm" by Kate Chopin


• "The Angel at the Grave" by Edith Wharton


• "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather


• "The Stones at the Village" by Alice Dunbar-Nelson


• "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell


• "Smoke" by Djuna Barnes


• "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston


• "Sanctuary" by Nella Larsen

Each story was steeped in realism and exposed many civil themes of the late 18th or early 19th century. Themes of racism, sexism, marriage and class differences permeated most of these stories. Each writer was gifted in how she could draw her readers in from the first sentence - and not let go until the last. I believe writing short stories can be harder than writing novels because you only have so many pages to tell your story. These women make it look effortless.

I could never pick a favorite from any of these stories, but one story, "A Jury of her Peers," still lingers in my mind. Two women - a sheriff's wife and a farmer's wife - are summoned to a neighbor's home. Their neighbor, Minnie Wright, was accused of killing her husband. As the women collect thing Minnie will need while incarcerated, they piece together what happened to Minnie and her marriage - just by finding small details in the house: a broken bird cage, a badly sewn quilt block, a well worn black shirt. Minnie never appeared in the story, but by the last paragraph, you know so much about her life. It was a gripping story and a realistic look at marriage, domesticity and women's lives.

The best part about reading this anthology is how it whetted my appetite for more works by these gifted writers. It was my first foray into many of these writers' works, and I look forward to reading more by these talented, influential female American writers. ( )

Thoughts on the stories here

I'm not a fan of short stories, but I must admit -- the selections for this book are well-chosen. Several literary heavy-hitters are included, such as Louisa May Alcott, Zora Neale Hurston, Edith Wharton, and Willa Cather. And, of course, there's the popular "Yellow Wall-Paper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. These really are "great" stories, iconic even, making this collection a good addition to any library. ( )