A complete collection of short works offers insight into the progression of the writer's work throughout a thirty-year period and features, among other tales, the complete texts ofAt the Gates of the Animal Kingdom,Tumble Home, andThe Dog of the Marriage."Hempel is unique. Her word-by-word virtuosity is off the charts; her artistic evolution is phenomenal."-Chicago TribuneAmy Hempelis a master of the short story. This celebrated volume gathers together her complete work - four short collections of stunning stories about marriages, minor disasters, and moments of revelation. With her inimitable compassion and wit, Hempel introduces characters who make choices that seem inevitable, and whose longings and misgivings evoke eternal human experience. For readers who have known Hempel's work for decades and for those who are just discovering her, this indispensable volume contains all the stories inReasons to Live,At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom,Tumble Home, andThe Dog of the Marriage. No reader of great writing should be without it."It’s a given that someday a major world religion will arise from this book. It will become a religious text for our descendants, and millions will burn candles around statues of Ms Hempel. She is a wonder. Honestly, each time you read this book it shortens your time in Purgatory and speeds your eventual salvation."—Chuck Palahniuk, The New York Post