In Winter Stories, Norwegian author Ingrid H. Rishoi gives us three contemporary tales about personal resilience in the face of adversity. We meet a teenager on the run from social services with her younger half-sister and half-brother in tow; a young single mother struggling to provide adequately for her daughter; and an ex-convict striving to overcome personal shortcomings and build a relationship with his son.

Driven by a fundamental need to secure and protect relationships with loved ones, Rishoi's characters stumble, fall, and climb to their feet again-even though the deck inevitably seems to be stacked against them. Seemingly minor snags in their best-laid plans carry the risk of undermining everything with potentially life-altering consequences. What these stories illustrate, however, is how small victories and the unexpected compassion of virtual strangers can have a far-reaching and profound impact. With empathy and sensitivity, the poetic sensibility of Rishoi's literary voice beautifully illuminates the fragile vulnerability of the human condition. In a time when the level of skepticism and distrust between people is rising, these stories remind us of the humanity that unites us all.