Although Munro's fiction continually refuses, as at least one critic has suggested, "to yield graciously to critical inquiry," it provokes stimulating discussions, in part because of its topical and sometimes controversial subject matter. Lives of Girls and Women is a book which reflects Munro's interest in what can be loosely defined as feminist concerns as well as the ongoing struggle to structure one's existence in a constantly shifting world of ambiguity and paradox. It is also a richly textured fiction. Discussion groups hoping to remain focused on a specific element of Munro's fiction (character, image, or theme, for examples) will soon find themselves caught in a rewarding and intricately patterned web of recurrences and contradictory instances.

1. How does the experience of reading Lives of Girls and Women relate to the question of regionalism in literature? Does Munro's fiction transcend the specifics of the place and time...