"Mirrors" by Carol Shields

Sitting at my desk, today, I glanced up to see, on my bookshelf, Canadian author Carol Shields' name in capital, reflective-foil lettering down the spine of her novel, Unless, to make me recall one of my favorite short stories, "Mirrors."

A part of the charm of this story, for me, is the Canadian setting and familiar words like cottage and Algonquin, words that make me think of home and words I don't hear in Las Vegas. But the real magic of this piece is the way the story moves through so many years of a thirty-five-year marriage, encapsulating both endearing moments and challenging years; the contradictions, too; and the growth; and the love.

But mostly what I cherish about "Mirrors" is the ending, quiet, thoughtful and, yes, happy.

Carol Shields