"The body cannot tell any lies. From birth to death, and through all the transitions in between, the body stores our knowledge and history, our feelings and experiences. Our betrayals. These insightful and empathetic stories shine new light on our physical vessels set against our physical world, two landscapes irretrievably connected and altered over time. These eleven stories take us into the lives and experiences of others to scrutinize the physical...

The night before Christmas: Clement C. Moore's classic poem about a visit from St. Nicholas. In the month of Kislev: A rich, arrogant merchant takes the family of a poor peddler to court and learns a lesson about the meaning of Hanukkah. Seven candles for Kwanza: describes the origins and practices of Kwanzaa, the seven-day festival during which people of African descent rejoice in their ancestral values. Too many tamales: Maria feels very grown-up...