A series of seven interrelated short stories dealing with the lives of the Beck, Begg, and von Bek families, which the author explains are mostly about "people looking for some kind of resolution or meaning to their lives. Perhaps because of their nature the tales possess an elegaic note. I hope their tone does not reflect despair or cynicism, only a cautious optimism in the ability of human beings to conquer those self-destructive traits which distinguish us so painfully from the angels."