Alice Munro was born in 1931 in Laidlaw, Canada. Monroe specialized in writing English short stories. In 2013, Munro won the prestigious Nobel Prize in literature. Other notable awards won by Munro include the Governor's General Award (1968, 1978, 1986), Giller Prize (2004), and the Man Booker International Award (2009). One of Munro's notable short stories book is Runaway, first published in 2004.
The Runaway book has eight short stories. The title story’s central characters are Carla and Clark. Carla is a beautiful young woman from a wealthy family that expects her to finish her studies and build her career before she gets married. On the other hand, Clark is a school dropout who does everything to marry Carla. They both run away to start life, but Carla regrets her decision because she ends up suffering in the marriage. The second story, "Chance," explores Juliet's trip leading to her marriage. The third story, "Soon," talks about Juliet's visit to her parents with her daughter. The fourth story is "Silence," about Juliet and her estranged adult daughter. The fifth story is "Passion," about a lonely town girl who elopes with a stranger. The sixth story is "Trespasses," which talks about Delphine and Lauren, a young girl interested in knowing her identity. "Tricks" is the seventh story that is about a young girl, Robin, who lives alone because of bad luck. The last story in the collection is "Powers," which narrates Nancy's diaries.
The Runaway book was well received in the market and won the Giller Prize in 1998 and 2004. Outside Canada, Munro's Runaway was the number-one bestseller in America immediately after it was launched. The book explores the themes of love, regret, and betrayal to depict real-life experiences.
