Of the twenty-one stories that make up the book, nine had been published in the two previous volumes of short stories (The Same Place, the Same Things and Everything That Matters), which include twelve unpublished ones.

Gautreaux has his own world, mainly set in Louisiana, with middle-class characters facing their problems, joys, uncertainties, sometimes in dramatic situations, other times more comedic, but always with a background of kindness, hope, and even redemption.

The first story, Idols, is a tribute to Flannery O'Connor. His interest in machines of all kinds could not be missing.