If You Can't Come In, Smile As You Go By

Seeking to characterize and to vitalize
life in a small, rural Texas community as it existed during
the Depression, Cindy Holster has introduced in ten short
stories a number of characters whose lives reflect not only
the hard times they experienced but the various ways in
which they dealt with them. While the stories touch on a
number of issues that might be considered contemporary or
even timeless-racism, mental illness, infidelity, ignorance,
and intolerance-they also emphasize Christian values and
morality.
Many of the characters are recurring
within the stories, and some emerge as leaders. Walter and
Ora Mae Cooper and their son Benjamin are identifiable by
their character and compassion, and the Cooper Grocery is
revisited again and again as the heart of the community.
The Coopers repeatedly reach out to the members of their
community and are sought out for counsel, solace, and
friendship. The characters are colorful, even eccentric,
and all have surprising and sometimes unsettling aspects to
their lives.