First published 2014
A man lies awake at night, tormented by a floating speck in his vision that makes him question everything about his existence. In another neighborhood, elderly Franny Saunders takes red marker to mailboxes and storefronts, scrawling her first name in bold letters because the world insists on calling her Mrs. Saunders. A teenage daughter watches her divorced mother act increasingly childish, forcing her into the parent role she never wanted. These sixteen stories follow people caught in daily struggles that reveal deeper truths about identity, connection, and survival. Each character faces a moment where ordinary life cracks open, exposing the vulnerabilities beneath. Schwartz captures these small battles with precision, finding both humor and heartbreak in the spaces between what people want and what they get.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, everyday-struggles
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Kindle Edition · Open Road Media