First published 2015
This collection gathers voices from established and emerging writers across continents and circumstances. Angela runs away during a deceptive spring. A narrator's senses awaken to butter and newsprint in a familiar kitchen. Snow falls unexpectedly in Baghdad, stirring thoughts of peace. Greek immigrant brothers build rival hot dog empires in Detroit. A young man learns not to run from trouble. Jorma sleeps in his chair while his family member wonders why his accident failed to unite them. Rwandan soldiers patrol orderly Kigali streets. A daughter rebels against her mother's expectations, drawing attention from boys. Anaphylaxis attacks both body and mind, bringing a sense of impending doom. Lydia cries on the phone while her father Ari believes tears show strength. A promotion fails to transform as expected. Fire burns holes where trees once stood, leaving empty spaces in the ground. Ranch houses cluster on a vast lawn among tired wealthy residents. Two people hope their connection will endure. These stories move between war zones and suburban lawns, immigrant dreams and family fractures, capturing moments when ordinary life reveals its hidden weight.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Baghdad, Detroit, Kigali, Rwanda
Period: Spring
328 pages · Paperback · Glimmer Train Press, Inc.
Content warnings: war