Stories of a Western Town

"Stories of a Western Town" by Octave Thanet is a set of stories from the late 1800s, set in a small Western town following different people going about their lives. The stories show things like people working out their problems with each other and how they get along. One of the stories is about Kurt Lieders in his later years as a cabinetmaker. He feels sad about his life choices and how they affect his wife, Thekla. The story starts when Thekla is worried about her husband and asks Mrs. Olsen for help, after Kurt's suicide attempt. The reader gets a sense that Thekla is very stressed and their marriage is not going well. In the story, Kurt is struggling with his job and deals with feelings of loss over the death of his mentor. This story presents themes of mental health, companionship, and redemption showing up throughout the book.