In The Story of Our People by David Hillstrom, an older woman in a ruined city takes care of a group of children, telling them a remarkable story to explain the complex world at large. This story, told in poems and narrative, is the basis of Hillstrom's insightful and moving collection. The grandmother tells the children of the popular uprisings that took place over and over again throughout history, yet she also calls for a new social order which might keep hope alive. As the story progresses, the grandmother introduces a woman, a poet and a welder, each of whom bring love, romance and practicality to this envisioned new world. In The Story of Our People, Hillstrom suggests that ideals can be realized and that a new natural order can come about. Beautifully written and told with insight and sensitivity, The Story of Our People is both a message of hope and a deeply moving collection of poems.