Women Who Live in Coffee Shops

Dangers lurk around every corner, no matter how innocent you are. "Women Who Live in Coffee Shops and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories from Stella Pope Duarte, reflecting mainly on the tragedies that face young people, exposed to the darkness of the world for the first time. From shameful fathers, from accusations of murder, to the dangers of evil people. "Women Who Live in Coffee Shops and Other Stories" is a fine and poignant read, highly recommended.

"If only I could lean on people sometimes," laments a sick and dying bag lady known as Margaret Queen of Scotland, just one of the city's many, many poor and unseen folks, shunned by people who have a successful present and future - and the bureaucracy of institutions alike. Set in Phoenix, Arizona, Duarte gives us human and passionate stories about a culture every bit as legitimate and proud as that of the opportunistic politicians spreading mistrust and fear for their own personal political power amongst groups quick to agree others are the blame for their failings. From a daughter trying to find her father and a school boy trying to save a friend from a grave injustice, to a disfigured, isolated young man desperately trying to be appreciated by creating order and beauty around himself; these and other unforgettable characters invoke laughter and tears, showing all of us a rich people with vivid lives, people no one need fear if given a chance to be known, for "they" - a thoughtless illusion - are Us.