Irish writer Colm Tóibín has won much acclaim for his novels, among them Brooklyn, Long Island, The Master, and The Magician. But he’s also is a prolific short-story writer, and he’s returned with a collection whose stories range across place and time—from contemporary to historical.

… When I picked up The Gales of November by John U. Bacon, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. What I found was an engrossing, deeply human story about the legendary SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the communities that depended on Great Lakes shipping, and the storm that changed everything.

Here’s why this is a five-star read for me…