Addiction

The author uses different stages of addiction to heighten the hardships faced by women throughout their lives. The female characters in the collection vary in ages from teenagers to older women facing their mortality. By commenting on their lives in the wake of addiction, it gives urgency to their situations.

The initial story of the collection finds Lucia (Lou) post addiction. Lou is able to recognize addiction in others, such as the old Indian named Tony in the laundromat. The collection introduces the woman as a teenager struggling in school, from problems at home to misunderstandings at school. By the time the author returns to the adult character, Lou is stealing sleeping pills from clients with the intent to commit suicide. She changes her mind, and several stories later, the character goes through detox.

In the story “Tiger Bites,” Lou is a teenager facing difficulties with...