In the limbo bounded by rebellion and resignation, belonging and solitude, Ed Allen's middle Americans seem to be either freely adrift or uncomfortably vested in an exit strategy wholly inadequate for their circumstances. These sixteen darkly humorous stories gauge the tension between what we really feel and what we outwardly express, what we should do and what we manage to get done.

In "Celibacy-by-the-Atlantic," Phil negotiates a lingering, low-intensity regret brought on by the annual family get-together at his parents' beach house, where memories of his aimless, privileged adolescence mingle with forebodings of his aimless, privileged middle age. In "A Lover's Guide to Hospitals," Carl lies in bed, pining over a stillborn romance through a moody, post-op haze of painkillers. As a consoling needle through the heart, the object of Carl's unrequited affections also turns out to be his nurse.

In "Burt Osborne Rules the World," a precocious boy ponders his childhood in "a world protected against anything you could imagine doing to make it more interesting." Sensing that only more of the same awaits him as an adult, Burt charts a different course--as a class clown with a truly toxic sense of mischief. Others, like Lydia in "Ralph Goes to Mexico," assert their individuality more effortlessly, for they're just too naturally odd to be cowed by convention. Lydia's dilemma is whether she should have her leukemic cat stuffed and mounted or turned into a hat after he dies.

These lyrical tales celebrate the ordinary--and the not so ordinary--with a flourish of Nabokovian wit that combines grandeur, kitsch, and the author's broad empathy with his characters.

Finally, the long-awaited answer to the often-asked question, "How do I (or we) introduce someone to the swinging lifestyle?" This classy yet inexpensive booklet, by the authors of "Together Sex," is the perfect way to learn about the joys of the swinging lifestyle and to encourage hesitant folks to give swinging a try. Readers will learn the "Top Ten Reasons to Consider Swinging," have their questions answered, and be reassured about such concerns as morality, disease, and the impact on their relationships. Plus, a series of "Swing Scenes" attractively depict the variety of pleasurable experiences one can expect to encounter in swinging. "Considering Swinging" is written in a fun, laid-back style - sexy, but not blatant or pushy - designed to entice without offending. Keep a few copies of "Considering Swinging" with you wherever you go - you just never know when you'll meet the friends of a lifetime.

These stories offer layered, perceptive takes on what home means to us. The people we meet in these stories are often traveling to and from home-thinking about where they have come from, where they are headed, and how that journey will impact their futures. Although the stories approach homecoming and homesickness through varied moods and styles, they all come around to confronting a shared need: a place to call home.