Tidings of Calm and Storm contains a dozen short stories of Midwest life in the U.S. throughout the 20th Century. Every story here is concise, intelligent and clearly written. This collection starts with a stark and violent stopover in "Indian Joe," and ends with a mysterious sojourn taken by the protagonist in "Communing With Angels." Though we can read each story separately, all of the stories are interconnected. The author once described the story...