This version of Indiana is that of a wild region, full of magical places and exceptional people. From urban to suburban to rural, magic rises in Indiana like an October mist off the Ohio river. Included in the six stories, is an award-winning novella about the experiences of a young Voodoo protege in the American south and Midwest of the 1960's. The Hindu goddess Kali and her cigar-smoking human consort are sent to protect the girl on her journey home.
Also included is a story is about a teenager who creates a living headless chicken and makes a fortune from her popular sideshow attraction, during the 1940's.
And another tale is about a young woman living in rural southern Indiana in the early 1990's, who has to cope with her uncle and his gun as he falls deeper into insanity.
Three more stories round out the collection- one about a femme fatale who inherited a very smart black cat named Sphinx, another is about a boy who owns a magic bean from Bombay and the last story is a history of the life of John Dillinger and where he might or might not have hidden a bag filled with a thousand silver dollars.
Three non-fiction essays are included and of course, they center around life in Indiana. In fact, all these stories are about Midwesterners doing strange and wonderful and sometimes dreadful things.