The protagonists of the stories in this translated collection all crave a private domain, a place that nobody else can touch. These characters are feisty, non-conformist, and fiercely independent traits that do not necessarily serve them well in the constraints of the conservative environments in which they find themselves, be that the environment of their family, their work or their country. To read the stories in this collection is to enter the private domain of the characters. It is also to share with those characters their quest for the most elemental thing in life: meaningful connections with other human beings.