Beautiful and heartbreaking stories by the author of Scribe and BoletoIn these deeply moving, memorable stories, Alyson Hagy explores the variable, often destructive, forces of love, hope, and despair, whose powerful undercurrents can overwhelm the human heart and alter the course of life. Hardware River, originally published in 1991, is peopled with restless men and women caught between memories of the past and the possibilities of the present; between abiding ties to the land and the impulse toward escape; between tangled family bonds and moments of forbidden release."In seven stories that limn the distances between wishes and realities, Hagy creates narratives that echo with a distinctly American voice. . . . These stories display an authenticity that goes well beyond the talented mimicry and impersonation of much first-person short fiction today. This accomplished collection should bring Hagy to the attention of those who value the art of fiction."-Publishers Weekly