In Natural History, Andrea Barrett completes the beautiful arc of intertwined lives of a family of scientists, teachers, and innovators that she has been weaving through multiple books since her National Book Award-winning collection, Ship Fever. The six exquisite stories in Natural History are set largely in a small community in central New York state and portray some of her most beloved characters, spanning the decades between the Civil War to the present day. In ''Henrietta and Her Moths,'' a woman tends to an insect nursery as her sister's life follows a different path. In ''Open House,'' a young man grapples with a choice between a thrilling life spent discovering fossils and a desire to remain close to home. And in the magnificent title novella, ''Natural History,'' Barrett deepens the connection between her characters, bringing us through to the present