Placed Among Things That Are Passing Away

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. <p>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.<p>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.