In this series of short stories entitled FUNNY ONCE, Antonya Nelson has provided us with interesting characters, great settings and engaging plots. Three of the stories were my favorite, although the entire collection is worth a read.

In "Literally" a widowed father of two is trying to raise his two children without the guidance of their mother. Richard does have a maid named Bonita who tries to help him through his everyday chores. It seems that Bonita, an immigrant who can barely speak English, needs Richard in her life just as he needs her. Their children, Danny and Isaac, are playmates and best friends. Once day when the boys wander off, Bonita and Richard must work together to find the boys and bring them home safely.

"First Husband" and "Soldier's Joy" are both about women who have married much older men. In "First Husband," Lovey was married to an older man and despite the fact that she has been divorced from her first husband and is happily settled with her second husband, her first husband's family keeps encroaching on her life. Her ex-stepdaughter has made a mess of her life and calls on Lovey in the middle of the night to babysit her three children. Lovey doesn't want to say no, but she contemplates the awkwardness of being involved in the ex-stepchildren's lives.

In "Soldier's Joy" Nana is also married to a much older man who, despite his advanced age, is still trying to be a ladies' man. When he makes a pass at a friend's daughter at a party, Nana feels the need to call her friend and to apologize profusely. Nana goes home for the weekend when her father has an accident and while she is there she is reunited with an old boyfriend. Unlike her husband, he is the same age as her and she is drawn to him because of their history together. I especially like the surprise ending in this story.

Whenever people tell me that they do not have time to read I always recommend short stories. FUNNY ONCE is full of engaging stories that are sure to entertain.