The short stories in this collection are succinct and subtly moralistic. The characters are failed lovers, battered women, children with abusive or inadequate parents, honest people who are disappointed by dishonest people.
Some of the strongest stories are about the consequences of not giving yourself completely to your relationship. In “Coffee”, a husband comes to understand that love requires work when his wife moves out. In ‘The Pullback”, Jack - misinterpreting his wife’s depression - feels rejected because she never initiates sex, and decides to distance himself from her until she makes the first move.
My favorite stories both have a religious bent.
“Dear Lawn Care Co.” is a powerful allegory about being ready for the Second Coming. It’s in the form of letters exchanged by Walter and the company that fertilizes his lawn, regarding a rep that interrupted his dinner. The Lawn Care Company represents God, the rep is Jesus and Walter is the Biblical “man without a wedding garment” or one of the five foolish virgins. This is a prime example of Breslin’s ability to do a lot with very few words.
In “We Are Not Dog People”, The Johnsons let their dog run free, oblivious to the distress this causes their neighbor Evan. The story is about how people need to believe that there is justice in the universe, that there is a benevolent God who sees their suffering.
Maybe it’s because I’ve read a lot of fantastic and supernatural fiction lately that the ordinary lives of the characters in this book seem depressingly bleak by contrast. I’d recommend this book to anyone who isn’t already bummed.