Randall Van Nostrand

Helen was born wrong. Her daddy wanted a son who'd grow up to take over the family business. Helen didn't qualify. Mommy wanted a dainty little girl. Helen wasn't dainty.

Beth wore her favorite pink smock. It had bottomless pockets perfect for carrying important things like rubber bands, marbles, a red shoelace, and two troops of plastic soldiers.

Standing in front of the woman who ran the camp, I was ashamed. “Sorry,” I said, weeping too hard to stop. “You caved,” one of my eleven-year old bunkmates hissed as we left her...

Marianne left her father alone for the time it took to make a cup of tea, and then shut his eyes. Marianne was sitting alone in the quiet room, making phone calls, when Isabelle started crying....

After months of searching, I hadn't found the dog I was looking for, my next dog. I wanted a boy dog, about a year old, with an easy personality, but couldn't find him anywhere. The little black...