El niño, Demonstration, Cross Country, What If The Indians?, Sleep Away, Flip Turn, and Music for the Dream make up this collection of seven short stories. In them you will meet Nash and Joana, who are considering having a child; Charm Palmé, an aspiring journalist who wants to show a positive side of Oakland, California; Merina Jordan, who gets caught up in double romantic intrigue on her way from New York City to Los Angeles; Alura, who speaks up for the first time in her high-school history class; Glori, an adolescent who is coming of age; Blessine and Brick who are tempted to buy a houseboat and "simplify" their lives; and Naniki, who lives on a hidden island in danger of being discovered. These characters stand ready to escort you through worlds of desire, nostalgia, and future possibilities.