From Publishers Weekly Cherry's ( Augusta Played ) "novel in stories" is such a mixture of the irritating and the insightful that its appeal will be a matter of individual taste. Narrator Nina， fearing the approach of middle age， struggles to heal the scars left by an incestuous assault and makes some real progress， at the same time remaining obsessed with the last man to dump her. In the first three stories especially， Nina's stability， suggested in the title， bogs down in psychobabble as she pursues， then rues， the offerings of psychiatry. The reader's patience is rewarded in the later sections， however， as Nina stops being the slave of theories and allows herself to experience relationships more naturally. Given the weak and tangled psyche to which we are originally introduced， Nina's ultimate transformation lacks a degree of credibility， but Cherry does achieve a unique portrait. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal Nina， longing for a baby and for the Great Love who dumped her， shovels Wisconsin snow to the tick of her biological clock. In 12 short stories， she reviews her failures with various men， psychiatrists， and artificial insemination. Tucked away in the middle of the book is a beautiful little narrative about Nina's parents， too amusing and affectionate to be included in these tales of woe. Despite the happy， predictable ending， it's hard to predict any appreciative audience for Nina's self-centered chatter.- Maurice Taylor， Brunswick Cty. Lib.， Southport， N.C.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information， Inc.