Get to know the colorful cast of characters at the Granite State Trailerpark, where Flora in number 11 keeps more than a hundred guinea pigs andscreams at people to stay away from her babies, Claudel in number 5 thinks he is lucky until his wife burns down their trailer and runs off with Howie Leeke, and Noni in number 7 has telephone conversations with Jesus and tells the police about them. In this series of related short stories, Russell Banks offers gripping, realistic portrayals of individual Americans and paints a portrait of New England life that is at once dark, witty, and revealing.

Contents:

• The Guinea Pig Lady
• Cleaving, and Other Needs
• Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat
• Dis Bwoy, Nim Gwan
• What Noni Hubner Did Not Tell the Police abour Jesus
• Comfort
• God's Country
• Principles
• The Burden
• Politics
• The Right Way
• The Child Screams and Looks Back at You
• The Fisherman