I had heard of E.L. Doctorow but had never read anything of his before. After seeing a film version of one of the stories in this book ("Jolene: A Life") I was determined to read it and I was so pleased to learn that Doctorow is an excellent writer! He writes about quite a variety of subjects and really grabs your attention. One of those books you don't want to put down. I intend to read as many of his other books as I can.