In the same way that Shiloh Military Park is the site of a major turning point in the American Civil War, the couple in this story by Bobby Ann Mason face several turning points of their own. The first, always lingering in the background and never spoken of, is the death of their infant son. Later comes an accident that forces the truck-driver husband to give up his job, and an identity crisis that results in his wife seeking a new beginning in life. Themes: loss, guilt, avoidance, individual and community change, marriage, gender roles, self-discovery/fulfillment, independence. More…

The protagonist in this Bobbie Ann Mason story is at a crossroads. Having returned to temporarily live on her parent’s Kentucky farm after they moved to Florida, she hates the idea of going back to suburban living. Her salesman husband has a new post and is away looking at houses in a nearby city, and in his absence she has been having an affair with a local man. She is caught between two places and two men. Her cats may prove the deciding factor. Themes: change (past vs. present), city vs. country living, rootedness vs mobilty, uncertainty, choices and consequences. More…