LOOKING AT HER CHARACTERS as if through a pair of binoculars. Ann Hood captures the extraordinary in the ordinary, the surreal in everyday occurrences. A pregnant woman left by her husband bakes obsessively to cope, but never tries a morsel. In an attempt to stay sober a young alcoholic seduces her minister and embarks on a tour of caverns with him. An adolescent girl picks up bird watching as a hobby. Through diverse voices and lively storytelling. Hood creates authentic, personal, secret worlds full of eccentric detail, stories that illuminate the heartbreaking beauty of everyday life.