Preview of Machine Dreams Summary:

Phillips's primary theme is lack of communication and its effects upon the people involved. The pattern begins with Gracie and J. T. Danner, who shout at each other through locked doors but never actually talk to each other. Their conflict is a secret their daughter Jean tries to keep, and she repeats their failure with her own husband, Mitch, who also does not really talk with the people he loves. Raised in a family whose secrets have led him to feel rejected by both parents, he seems to communicate with Bess and Katie Sue; he writes many letters, but he carefully avoids telling them anything he thinks will upset them. With his wife and children, he is actually brusque at times, expecting them to accept his statements without question.

In the larger world, lack of communication is even more directly related to secrecy, as Danner and Mitch discover...