First published 1993
McCracken presents her first collection of short fiction, gathering stories that examine the unexpected moments when lives pivot. The characters navigate small towns and larger cities, encountering strangers who become significant and familiar people who reveal hidden depths. A woman discovers something startling about her neighbor. A family gathering exposes long-buried tensions. Young adults make choices that will reshape their futures in ways they cannot yet understand. Each story captures people at crossroads, whether they recognize these moments or not. The collection moves between different voices and settings, but returns consistently to the question of how we connect with others and what we do when those connections surprise us. McCracken writes with precision about the comedy and sadness that coexist in ordinary situations. The stories reveal how the mundane can suddenly become significant, and how people adapt when their assumptions about their lives prove wrong.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: crossroads, found-family
Setting: Small Towns, Cities
Period: 21st Century
Hardcover · Turtle Bay Books