In Sketches from Life, author Gillian Skeen-McKee has presented an eclectic group of stories, both short and long, set almost entirely in southern Africa or North America. Sometimes bittersweet in nature, they veer toward the literary, often focusing on the struggles of women while painting vivid portraits of far-off lands. Imitating life, whether strange, perilous, tragic, or amusing, they tell of love and infidelity, courage and cowardice, disappointment and joy. “Under the Baobab Tree” offers a child’s view of life in a remote mining town. In “The Art Dealer,” a disconcerted mother watches the deterioration of her daughter’s marriage. “The Ship” describes a young surgeon’s dilemma when faced with a misdiagnosis by another doctor. “Good Intentions” depicts a campus scene of South African students trying to strike a blow against apartheid while “Immorality” grapples with the tensions and difficulties of interracial romance. Accompanied by relevant images, there is meaning to be found in every word for everyone.