At the core of each story in this collection is the resiliency of the Appalachian woman-at times a reserved resolve and at others, an unmistakable but very necessary unraveling, which leads each protagonist on a journey to reclaim what was lost along the way. The Appalachian region provides a lush and deteriorating landscape. In "Panchlora Nivea," young Ada must find her own way, as her parents sink deeper into addiction, finding an escape through the close inspection of insects. In "Shuffle," an aging couple renew their fading affections in a most unexpected redecoration of their home. "Sylvie's Nature" takes a seasoned woman on an arduous weekly walk to visit her husband serving time in a maximum-security prison for a pre-meditated crime. "The Needle's Eye" invites the reader to mark time with a physically and emotionally abused woman, as she waits for the pink supermoon to appear and lead the way for her departure. These stories are bound by a very stalwart thread, leaving the reader to experience a wide range of emotions that, revealed or held close, are all too universal.