Notes from the porch Tiny true stories to make you feel better about the world

Novelist Greene (The Perfect Liar, 2019) admits to being "a relentlessly social extrovert." When COVID-19 paused public life, Greene rode out lonely months at home by leaning into the power of stories--some from his past, and some that unfolded as he kept watch from his porch in Montpelier, Vermont. The stories collected here are snapshots of the heart centered on people: family, neighbors, and strangers. Titles enticingly hint at the observational richness they contain; "Magic" and "Mirror Lake" give away their meanings only after a satisfying reading. The series of stories that feature swaggering, bike-riding, seven-year-old "Neighborhood Boy" are by turns funny and poignant, depending on whether the boy is showing off on his bike or wondering if there's a heaven. Most affecting are the remembrances and story of a brown-eyed daughter who died in infancy. Greene shares all this with an air of friendliness, inviting readers into his confidence with an open, conversational tone. Fans of Greene's novels and readers wanting small and thoughtful slices of life will enjoy this collection.

In this folksy collection, Greene (If I Forget You), a novelist and founder of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, tells feel-good stories about events he witnessed during the Covid-19 lockdowns in Montpelier, Vt. The selections highlight unexpected connections between strangers. "Neglected Gardens" recounts how Greene befriended the former owner of his home after accepting her request to care for his derelict backyard garden, which she had created. In "Strangers," Greene recalls his surprise witnessing from his porch two middle-aged joggers engage in a brief, passionate kiss: "I shouted, I thought you were strangers!... Without breaking stride, moving away from each other, they shouted back in unison, We are!" Six pieces are devoted to Greene's exchanges with a seven-year-old neighbor who often stops to chat while bicycling past the author's house; in one particularly amusing if inscrutable instance, the kid says he has a friend who doesn't smile "cause he has a triangle face." Elsewhere, Greene discusses shopping for smoke alarms, raising puppies, and watching flying ants hatch. The low stakes of the entries capture the quietude of Vermont life. It's an ideal collection for reading by the fire on a cold night. (Feb.)