Near the Edge

Review Byington's unforgettable characters reach out and invite us to come with them to their edges, the no-going-back choices, that are deeply part of our shared human experience. Whether that means longing for someone beyond our reach, rejecting a rut for new beginnings, choosing generosity over clutching, or letting go of life itself, one message that emerges is the power of confronting our potential demise or growth or, transcending both, the kind of transformation that forever changes how we view life. - Judith Bula Wise, author of Empowerment Practice with Families in Distress and editor of Trauma Transformed.  Product Description In five beautiful and haunting short stories, Diane Byington shows us people's decision processes when they're standing close to their metaphorical edge. Some have had all they can take of stress and struggle and choose to go over the edge, so they're forced to deal with the consequences, positive or negative. Others figure out how to back away from the edge and resume their normal lives. Four of the stories were previously published in literary journals, and one is new to this compilation. In addition to the short stories, readers are treated to the first chapters of Diane Byington's two novels: Who She Is and If She Had Stayed.