The stories in Skids are the stories of street kids; they are harrowing yet moving confessionals about young kids on their own, many of them runaways or addicts, eking out existences in shelters, treatment centers, or dysfunctional families. Told in the vernacular of the street, Skids reverberates with a sense of urgency and desperation, but with compassion and optimism as well. The book, based on the author’s personal experiences, pays homage to the street kids she knew by honoring their stories and making them matter.

This is Cathleen With’s first story collection.