Free Love and Other Stories Summary

Free Love and Other Stories Summary

Free Love: On a class trip to Amsterdam, a young teenager finds her sexual awakening. She takes advantage of the thrills of the trip to counteract some sexual repression.

A story of folding and unfolding: After the passing of his wife, a husband is packing away her things. The experience of interacting with each of her sets of underwear reminds him of intimate moments they shared during their marriage. He recalls meeting her when he was working as an electrician in her dorm.

Text for the day: When her roommate randomly disappears one day, Austen panics. Melissa, a faithful bookworm, has left without touching anything but her meticulous book collection. In a few days she sends word to Austen that she has decided to travel the world and share her collection so she would like to be mailed a few books each year for that purpose.

A quick one: Trying to push through confusing memories, a young woman waits in a coffee shop to break up with her ex.

Jenny Roberston your friend is not coming: In Scotland, two girls -- Elizabeth and Jenny -- share lunch before catching a film together. They explore the difficulties of setting expectations within a friendship.

To the cinema: The narrator works at the local cinema. She describes the major events of her life: boyfriend drama, recent favorite films, and losing her religion. As the story progresses, she starts noticing how one of the regular clients seems particularly entranced by her service.

The touching of wood: On a trip with her girlfriend, a young woman explores Spinalonga, a tiny island in Greece.

Cold Iron: After losing her mom, Anne records some touching memories which they shared together.

College: Alex is a teenager when her college-aged sister, Gillian, dies. The whole family travels to Cambridge where the school is dedicating a bench in Gillian's honor. Unwilling to participate in the glum celebrations of her family in Kent, she hitch-hikes to Brighton without telling anyone.

Scary: Tom has convinced his girlfriend, Linda to accompany him on an overnight getaway with friends. Their hosts, Richard and Zoe -- Tom's ex, prove awkward. As the night progresses, Richard demonstrates his unhealthy obsession with River Phoenix. Linda soon fears for her life amid such troubled company.

The unthinkable happens to people every day: In his middle age, a man becomes overwhelmed by stress and has a nervous breakdown. During recovery, he travels to Scotland. There he meets a little girl skipping stones who imparts some wisdom to him which changes his opinions of life.

The world with love: Reuniting after years, two girlfriends reminisce about school. They devote most of their conversation to the strange unfolding of their French teacher's madness.

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