Carole Glasser Langille’s second collection of short fiction is a sequence of loosely linked narratives that examine the inner lives of a diverse cast of characters with confidence and succinct but graceful lyricism. These are mainly stories about families and close friends, people at various stages of life who are being forced by events to face uncomfortable truths about themselves. The title reveals much about what’s going on in these pages. Langille’s characters are closely involved with one another and concerned for each other’s welfare. They think about each other a great deal. Langille is writing about intricately intertwined lives that touch and overlap and influence one another in ways both overt and subtle. A teacher who constantly questions his abilities and the choices he’s made finds solace in the reverential gaze of one of his more downtrodden students. Alanna, whose fiancé has died unexpectedly becomes close friends with an older couple. When she finds herself romantically involved with the husband after the wife dies suddenly, she starts to wonder what they have in common, apart from death. A man is treated to a surprise fiftieth birthday party by his much younger girlfriend and embarks on a self-assessment that leaves him wondering what he’s done, and what he’s doing, with his life. Langille, an accomplished a poet, writes prose that is filled with lyrical touches. The stories are fast-paced, tightly structured mini-dramas that pack a great deal of event into few pages. A quick, enjoyable read that is also wise and profound. This is a book that probes human behaviour deeply and pitilessly, leaving us with much to reflect upon. ( )