Helen Houston has navigated the Texas turf as well as the terrain of family fracture and lost spirituality-but it is the message behind the occasional chance for healing that is poignantly conveyed throughout her first collection of short stories. A mother travels to New York and finally sees the foolishness of imposing expectations on her grown daughter; a discouraged child in an unhappy home is bucked up by a friend; an aunt shares her wisdom that life is a progression to spiritual truths with a nephew who is hungry for her advice; and a young woman finds renewal of spirit while fulfilling a promise to spread her best friend's ashes. In contrast, Houston shares the stories of others live in befuddlement-like the man who continuously drives the 610 Loop around the city of Houston with the help of a beer and the right music while viewing the skyline from just about every perspective.
The eclectic characters in Placed Among Things That Are Passing Away not only offer their compelling life experiences, but also inspirational lessons in fortitude, perseverance, and unconditional love.