Problems with People: Stories by David Guterson

From the author of the best-selling novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, comes this short story collection exploring the everyday lives of ordinary people.  The ten stories delve into the yearnings of human desire to connect.  Paradise tells the meeting of two individuals navigating the dating scene by Match.com.  Tenant shows the alienation of a landlord's awkward encounter with his tenant.  Hush portrays the harsh reality of an old man dying of cancer and befriending a dog-walker.  Whether it is the misperception of a situation or due to one's belief, Guterson conveys a universal longing that we have to belong.  I empathize with the characters who are struggling with hardships and am reminded of what's most important in life.