Four Handmade Tales From the Heart of America

Four warm, wry stories of ordinary Americans chasing what their hearts want, from Pueblo and Albuquerque to Las Vegas and the Virgin Islands.

In Pueblo, Colorado, landlord Alfonzo Barrett counts the stars from his driveway and wonders whether aliens would pay their rent on time, while his wife, Amanda, just wants to see their new granddaughter.

In Albuquerque, Tesla salesman Felix Sanchez is newly divorced, smokes too much pot, and is counting on a charity golf tournament with his buddies to make life worth living.

When his Uncle Rick is found dead outside the Bellagio, New Orleans diesel mechanic Aaron Arkansas drives seventeen hundred miles to Las Vegas with the key his uncle mailed him. What Rick left in a safety-deposit box tells Aaron what to do, and he sees every one of his uncle's last wishes through, all the way home to a New Orleans funeral parade with plastic aliens riding in the back of his pickup.

And on Saint Thomas, taxi driver Poppy spends his days carrying passengers toward their dreams, though what he dreams of most is a Sunday morning's fishing with his grandson and his friends.

Hearts come in all conditions: blooming, bitter, cracked and patched, singing or spewing noise. The people in these four tales are all prospecting for their heart's desire, trying to keep the good they have and root out the bad.

These are grown-up stories, salty talk and adult moments included, about the quiet business of everyday living. For readers who love the warmth of Kent Haruf, Elizabeth Strout and Fredrik Backman, and for book clubs looking for something to talk about.

From the author of Nine Handmade Tales From the Heart.