A lonely secretary schemes to kidnap a young stranger to replace the baby she lost in utero and a woman's far-flung pursuit of her graduate degree has spooky consequences - these are two of the lessthan-ordinary perils encountered in Ann Robinson's debut collection. Elsewhere, more commonplace situations pit mothers against adolescent daughters while couples navigate the choppy waters of middle age, sisters struggle to bridge the gap created by family trauma, and cantankerous seniors try the patience of their exasperated offspring.