In his second collection of short fiction and memoir, Fels introduces new characters such as Sophie, an elderly woman staging her last battle against God;Jeannie, a young woman who has given up ever finding love and seeks refuge in an old-growth redwood tree; Dennis, "always so good with kids,"now struggling to become a surrogate father to a child he doesn't understand, and many more. In Fetching Molly, Fels creates a world of personalities you will want to introduce to your friends.

Set against the backdrop of the social and economic turbulence of the 1970's and '80's, Fels paints an unforgettable portrait of a young couple striving to create meaningful, adventurous lives for their quickly expanding family while coping with a daughter's evolving and seemingly untreatable, mental illness. From her birth, her attempted suicide at age eight, a succession of mysterious illnesses, disappearances, estrangements, and, ultimately, her death at age twenty-four from astrocytoma, Fels offers an intimate and poignant examination of the life of a family: one that is at once unique...

The Chinese exchange student who enters into a fake marriage so he can bring his wife to America; the Home Depot employee who spends day after day helping customers find the right color paint for every project but can't find the color in her own life; the troubled foster son who has decided never to talk to his foster father again; the rural school janitor who understands more about education than anyone could guess -- these are some of the characters you'll meet and want to share with your friends in Michael David Fels' first book of short fiction.