Didn't get to the last story, but overall i really enjoyed most of these which is surprising with multiple authors. ( )

For those who are lovers of the short story, or those who enjoy tales from the not so innocent south, this will be a good read.

The Bridge of Sighs takes us into the heartbreaking, gut wrenching world of Cattle Killers who visit "humane " death on steers raised to die.

The Ease of Living is about a desperate mothers attempt to keep her son from being affected by death, by sending him away. Providing distance between him and the death of two boys. Can we ever get far enough away from death?

The Candidate is the story of a single mother distracted, if only for a moment from her own small life.

Child of God and the ugly world of St Jude's. But is it truly ugly? Cannot some beauty be found in the darkest of dark places?

And there is more, so much more. Eighteen Stories filled with characters that we all have known or heard about. All told with the scent of magnolias in the background, and the tangible heat of a deep summer night.

If you have not been a reader of short stories, this is a good place to start. The stories are so rich and powerful that you take away all that you usually find in a longer read. There is something for you here. ( )