Lives of Girls and Women: A Novel (Vintage International)

Alice Munro’s debut novel follows Del Jordan, a sharp, curious girl growing up on her father’s fox farm in 1940s rural Ontario. As she moves between country and town life, Del observes the women around her—her strong-willed mother, a bold boarder, and her spirited best friend—each revealing different sides of womanhood.

Through encounters with sex, birth, and death, Del comes to understand the complexities of growing up female in a small town. Both witty and profound, the novel captures the extraordinary within the ordinary, showcasing Munro’s unmatched insight into the lives of girls and women.