Written in fluid, lyrical prose, these stories trace patterns of disappointment, fear, and despair in the intimate spaces of everyday life. A new mother yearns for acceptance in her family and wonders what life will hold for her and her baby. A young boy escapes the unhappy world of his troubled parents by creating his own reality, one in which he finds approval and stability.

Many of Berry's stories concern characters moving toward a better understanding of themselves. Brother Billy, a traveling preacher "who never had a bad thought in his life", comes to Shiloh to save souls and to tell the congregation what they want to hear so that they can feel secure in their lives. But when Lottie Lee -- a fiery-haired woman with a personality to match -- crosses Billy's path, he must rethink the meaning of mercy and what it means to be one of the Lord's chosen.

Sometimes characters can only speculate about the hurts and passions of the people around them. In "Exit Miss Tish", townspeople gather at the funeral home to dissect the enigmatic life of a strong-willed woman. In "Next-Door Neighbors", a young girl mustconfront her own loss before she can begin to understand what the worries of a mother with sons serving in the war might be like.

Berry's work paints an intricate portrait of men and women seeking a community of understanding amid the forces of self-doubt and uncertainty