The stories in this collection offer unique perspectives on culture. One of my favorites, "Uncle Rock," is narrated by a silent 11-year-old who comes to terms with a new "uncle," one of many amorous men who give attention to the boy's attractive mother. The story reaches a crescendo when Uncle Rock takes him (and his hot mama) to a baseball game. After the team signs a home run ball for the kid and passes him a note to pass to his mother, the kid decides that maybe Uncle Rock isn't so bad. Many writers have tackled the "uncle" character in fiction, but Gilb avoids stereotypes and presents an honest portrait of the young man and his evolving relationship with his mother's lover.