From quiet vignettes of triumph over daily despair, to richly textured narratives of almost epic proportion, the authors explore themes at once contemporary and timeless: the often tangled relationship between parent and child; the lingering legacy of the war in Vietnam; the mysteries of birth, death, sexuality, and marriage; and the sometimes redemptive power of suffering. Visceral, engaging, eminently readable, and memorable, these stories provide an inspiring preview of literary achievement to come.