"Did that really happen?" is the question frequently posed to Peggy Backman, the author of this collection of short stories. Some might answer, "Does it really matter if it's true or not, as long as it's a good tale?" The stories take place in the US, as well as on tropical islands in the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Most are told in short story form; three are put to verse. The author, a psychologist, examines human behavior with a keen eye, pointing out its ironies and conflicts as the stories evolve-drawing from her own experience, both professional and personal, as well as from her vivid imagination. The stories are a mixture of perception and misperception, salted with a dash of suspiciousness with some rationalization stirred in. The result: We create our own reality.