These 15 short stories reflect various facets of life and memorable characters that populate Thailand's rustic northeast region of Isaan - a land where existence is defined by hardship and toil.  In Isaan, virtually untouched by the modernization that has swept over the rest of the country in recent years, the author describes the charm and sincerity - and also the eccentricities - of the inhabitants in a way that clearly reveals his own affection for the people among whom he lived.