In these ten stories, Rash spins a haunting allegory of the times we live in-- rampant capitalism, the severing of ties to the natural world in the relentless hunt for profit, the destruction of body and soul with pills meant to mute our pain. Yet within this world he illuminates acts of extraordinary decency and heroism. The novella, In the valley, is based on his 2009 novel, Serena. -- adapted from jacket.