An elderly southern man travels to New York City to live with his daughter when he can no longer care for himself. While there, his hatred for his environment reveals his virulent racism and bitter dissatisfaction with his lot in life.

A missionary preaches to a village in Mexico but faces utter alienation.

A woman allows her grandchildren's road trip games in the Canadian backcountry. Distracted by her own nostalgia, she unwittingly takes them to a strange, unfamiliar house.

As his son recovers from a devastating head injury, a father reflects on what could have been their last moment together.

A girl at a British airbase is bad luck: after going out with her, pilots seem to always crash and die. When a famously successful pilot shows up, the girl is drawn to him. They both want to see if they can beat the curse.

As a teenage girl stumbles upon a mysterious portal leading her to a utopian, magical world, her storyline converges with that of the author—a middle-aged, married mother of two who has come out as asexual to her husband—leading both to a reckoning with their unfulfilling romantic relationships and deepest desires.

Freshly transferred from a hospital position, a twenty-year-old navy sailor must adjust to his new position, which requires him to clean the ship's furnaces. Despite being warned, the work is much harder than he expects, but he is determined to get the job done.

An unwanted reunion between two women for the holiday season makes a protective mother anxious and eventually pushes her over the edge.

To face the unendurable boredom of her monotonous bookbinding job, a teenage girl sows sexual tension between her fellow teenage coworkers. However, that endeavor can only entertain her for so long, as her grim small town and secret pregnancy threaten to overwhelm her.

Irritated by a humiliating incident in his class, an anthropology professor takes a spin on his boat to blow off steam. He rides the waves and comes to a realization about alienation versus acceptance.