A preteen, a young divorcee, a woman who endured a near-death experience, and one who did not, plus six more compelling female characters fill the pages of this collection of short stories. This is from the lead story: "I was hungry now and greedy; for everything that had been denied me in life. I wanted so much, and so fast; to be a strong woman, as well as soft and feminine; to have many friends and to be left alone; to travel and to stay home; to read good books and to write my own; to live life fully, and cut corners when it pleased me; to be selfish and to be unselfish. I saw the contradictions in my needs but cared not. You see, I wanted it all. And nothing had better stand in my way . . . even me!