Written in original, humorous, and innovative ways, these 11 richly varied stories expose the risks in finding shelter in unaccommodating places. Exploring the precarious lives of an accident-prone Chinese construction worker with a dark secret, a fatally ill Canadian artist who remains in Beijing after the 2008 Olympics, a grieving barber who makes a gruesome discovery about his Czech lover, and a couple who make a shocking, last-minute decision about their adoptive child, these unforgettable narratives-both dark and emotional-travel from China to Canada and Europe to convey vivid descriptions and a nostalgic appeal.