This book is a sequel to the author's first book, "Joyce Hughes: Ten Stories," although one can still enjoy it without having first read the previous book. It begins five years later in the lives of such returning characters as Bobby Wilchek, Clara Bewsett, and Betsy Rose. Several new characters are introduced, such as Charles "Big Tiny" Washington and Earl Givens. And, of course, Joyce Hughes is back as the glue, uniting the others in the "aftermath" of their original stories.