On the verge of giving upanchored to dreams that never came true and to people who have long since disappeared from their livesVan Booy's characters walk the streets of these stark and beautiful stories until chance meetings with strangers force them to face responsibility for lives they thought had continued on without them.

"Loneliness isn't something that happens only when we are physically alone. It can also happen when we are with people. Online friends, followers, or "likers" don't necessarily add up to much when you crave fulfilling interaction, and satisfying, long-term relationships are not a mystery to be left up to chance (or technology). The good news is that, according to relationship coach Kira Asatryan, loneliness has a reliable antidote: the feeling of...

A middle-aged actor and the wife of a photographer meet while on business in Tokyo. They strike up an unusual friendship in the hotel bar that helps them both overcome boredom and loneliness.

Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy know that an angel's work is never done, especially during a time as wondrous as New Year's Eve. With an apprentice angel, Will, under their wings, they descend upon Times Square in New York City eager to join in the festivities. And when Will spies two lonely strangers in the crowd, he decides midnight is the perfect time to lend a heavenly helping hand. Lucie Farrara and Aren Fairchild meet after bumping into each other--seemingly...

"When teen July Fielding discovers everyone in her hometown disappeared, her only chance to unravel the mystery is a series of objects, each a reminder of the people she loved most."--

A lonely little rabbit wants to make a friend.

"The whimsical story a man who has spent his life delivering the messages found in ocean bottles and the day he receives a message that turns out to be a party invitation"--

In parallel stories, Bone, an orphaned dog, finds and loses a series of homes, Molly, a family pet, helps Charlie through the grief and other after-effects of his brother's death, and lonely Henry pleads for a dog of his own.

"The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences of rejection--from the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over to the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father. She leans in to honestly examine the roots of rejection, as well as rejection's ability to poison relationships from the inside out, including our relationship...

"Little Brown is grumpy and lonely at the dog park, until he decides to take matters into his own hands."--