Short stories inspired in part by her adventures and derived from her practical 'Scrubby Dutch' German-Irish Midwest roots, Pat Magee's stories amuse, entertain and sometimes confound, leaving the reader to wonder whether the stories and characters, as odd and colorful as they are, may in fact be more rooted in reality than imagination.

I

leapt out of bed.

Watching Grampa shave was the highlight of our summer days.

He used an old straight razor that he sharpened on a strop and a badger hair shaving brush that he moistened in a bowl of warm water and then lathered with soap in a brown ceramic mug.  

Morning Rituals, excerpt from Fast Moving Cows