In sixteen short stories and a novella, award-winning author Anne Leigh Parrish explores the magic of life, love, and the soft boundary between fact and fantasy.
Maggie and Marta Dugan are identical twins. Their relationship has the usual sisterly strains, until home alone one afternoon, Maggie masquerades as Marta when a friend of hers drops by. The ruse is quickly discovered, a rift between the sisters ensues, and they go their separate ways. But living apart is hard; real independence harder still.
When Lavinia Starkhurst’s husband is killed in a freak accident, she takes to the open road and meets a number of strangers, all with struggles of their own.
Marvelous. Honest. Generous. From the first story to the last, "By the Wayside" catches your attention and demands that you give into its every whirl. Each character unfolds with a precision that will have you wondering how Parrish managed to create such real-to-the-bones people within a world that captivates you with ease.