First published 2010
A tent maker carries brown canvas too beautiful for army use, knowing dye lots create their own rules. An eleven-year-old boy becomes convinced death will find him soon. Hiram watches newcomers flood his open spaces with SUVs and boat trailers, wondering if their arrival has twisted the weather itself. Someone shouts ugly words in a March alley while ice clings to lawns like gray scum. A grief ministry volunteer spreads research papers across the floor, asking God for guidance in helping others. Beverly resuscitates her husband on the third night his symptoms return, unable to see the eight difficult months ahead. Hogs sense trouble when two men approach their breakfast trough. A family skips candles and prayers but drinks wine anyway, promising to do better next week. Philadelphia's corkscrew staircases twist residents until they forget where they came from. These ten stories capture people caught between what they expected and what they received, finding small mercies in moments that refuse easy comfort.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Philadelphia
232 pages · Paperback · Glimmer Train Press, Inc.