On a visit to his old family farm in the Great Plains, a man recalls his tumultuous relationship with his now-deceased brother. In the process, he must reckon with the continued influence of familial trauma and confront his own ambiguous role in his brother's death.

A son tells a series of stories, most of them about his father and stepfather. As the son describes a robbery that took place at his house in high school and his experiences with his father, a former Jehovah's Witness and current alcoholic, he begins to recall details from his childhood.

Two brothers are left under the unreliable care of their alcoholic uncle when their parents leave town.

After a boy finds a dime on the ground, he buys a load of bread — only to have it stolen by his abusive uncle. The boy must decides if he wants to stand up against his uncle, or accept yet another loss.

In a poignant reflection on the legacies of the past, a man finally hears from his grandmother the full account of his great-grandfather’s death at the hands of a close friend.

Two brothers, one wealthy and one without a stable income, are forced to reunite when the latter decides to leave his job. When a hitchhiker joins them on their drive to the wealthy brother's home, the stranger spins tales that deepen the divisions between the two brothers.

On a sunny fall day, a young boy goes for a drive with his aunt and uncle. They accidentally hit a child, who flies off the hood of the car.

A man is forced to reconsider his suspicions of superstition when a racketeer decides the man is good luck.

A pessimistic father's belief that the world is actively against him and his family displaces his frustration on his wife and son. His opinion may prove to be correct after his child succumbs to a sudden illness.

When a ten-year-old boy stands up at a family dinner and declares he wants to meet God, his proclamation spurs a series of philosophical debates.