A teenage girl victimized by assault and prejudice. An office worker holding on to his boss’s cat after a failed workplace romance. A father struggling through a ceremony for a son lost in combat. A family whose members can often predict the day they’re going to die.

The characters in Casualties are damaged souls doing their best to keep moving despite their difficulties—a motley mélange of memorable misfits who refuse to be victims despite their circumstances. It’s a fantastic collection for young and old alike, a wonderful work about the walking wounded who somehow find a way to be kind despite life’s cruelties.