The 23 stories and five poems collected here represent the short fiction that Bob Parker has created over four decades. This is an update of his previous volume of 17 stories. The style of these stories vary. They range from first-person to third-person, from a man's perspective to a woman's, from hard-boiled to romantic, and from shallow glitz to heartfelt searching. The themes range from adolescent love to family love, and from wisdom to defeat. The stories emphasize plot and character, with the early stories having a narrative drive, while the later, mature stories focus on character in a search for depth. Subject matter includes: an election night, a nervous pianist, a marooned pilot, a fleeing criminal, a scared child, a crooked boxing match, a dying dog, a bean ball, an abortion decision, and the life of a Venetian gondolier.