Loosely inspired by the 1996 heroin epidemic in the grittier suburbs of Dallas, this gripping collection of short stories – many published previously in leading literary journals – are intimate, honest, and character-driven, and don’t shy away from difficult themes. From protagonists struggling with the effects of alcoholism and unemployment, to neo-Nazi skinheads in Dallas, to conspiracy theories, these various colourful characters are depicted with clear-eyed compassion, as well as moments of resilience and even humour, as they work their way to a transcendence of their current, very American, very Texan, situation.