Wow - this book sounded interesting and it didn't disappoint! Each story is a snapshot into the lives of people struggling their own battles...not a "happy" book by any means, but the author brings the characters to life with color and imagination. Orringer is a "writer's writer" - never boring, and intelligent in voice. I'm not sure which short story was my favorite - many have stuck with me over the few days I have been reading them. Well worth the credit, and probably one of the best books I have read this year, How To Breathe Underwater satisfies in ways too numerous to count. :)