Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson

This novel is a series of what appear at first to be unrelated short stories, yet occassionally  similar characters come back in other stories, leaving the reader to wonder if Atkinson is leading you toward something larger.  Some of the stories involve mythological ties, others appear on the surface to be simple stories of familial angst and longing.  It is not until the last paragraph of the last story of the book when Atkinson ties everything together in a ghastly, 'didn't see that coming' twist.  I rarely re-read novels; this is one that meets the criteria. A powerful, thought-provoking read that makes me shiver thinking about the end.