In each of these three tales, lonely and romantic-minded women long for impossibly close friendships, a sense of belonging, or to escape into a world of safety, nature, slowness, and calm-in a time when such things are beginning to fade and becoming relics of the past. The world in these stories is fast-paced and rapidly changing, for good or for worse, where distant friends, acquaintances, therapists, and even strangers form one's surrogate family-and it is in this milieu, a sensitive old soul, a bored young woman, and an anxious single mother must learn how to protect their identities to stay psychologically resilient.