This is, at first glance, a quite disparate collection of stories. The settings range from New York, Texas, and San Francisco to Sydney, Lismore, and Malaysia. The characters vary in age from three years old in "Rights of Man" to nonagenarians in "Shady Oaks." And yet this varied assemblage of work is unified by core themes that speak to us all: the search for one's place in the world, failed attempts to connect with other people, and lofty aspirations not acted upon.