Reviewed by Jon Michael Miller for Readers' Favorite

The Woman in the Third Floor Front by Richard Scharine is a collection of prose pieces beginning with a series of short stories and followed by musings about his European ancestors. The author traces his life from a midwestern boyhood, through his career as a professor of theater arts, particularly at the University of Utah, and his marriage and family. He describes himself as a product of the 1938 WPA (Works Progress Administration). Mr. Scharine is a fine writer both of fiction and of memoir—witty, literate, precise, and empathetic. His stories are engaging and suspenseful, set mostly in Utah with a variety of themes and characters. The amusing title story is about a traveler stranded by the airlines in Chippewa, Indiana, on his way to Furman, South Carolina, and falling in love with the woman who manages the hotel of his temporary housing.

I was engaged with this collection from beginning to end, though I was a bit surprised by the shift from fiction to memoir. Besides the romance of the title, he writes of desert environmentalism, a pair of captive elephants, the gay debate regarding psychological aberration vs. natural attraction, two hitmen in conflict, a sexy nightclub songstress, and a crime scene. The writing is tough and realistic, with ironic overtones. Particularly fascinating was Mr. Scharine’s personal history and its almost epic presentation of his European ancestry, and movement from a poor family, a one-room midwestern schoolhouse, and eventually to a Ph.D. and a tenured professorship. Especially exquisite are his memories of his family, especially his wife, Marilyn, which make up the ending of the book. He describes her by using physical items that he associates with her, for instance, a painting, a chest of drawers, and a plaque. Richard Scharine’s The Woman in the Third Floor Front is an exquisite treat for any reader of intelligent, literate, and poignant prose.