The "People" came to Earth as refugees, fleeing the death of their own planet. Completely human in appearance, but not like humans in that they possess amazing innate powers, able to read minds, control the weather with a thought, alter environments with a gesture, yet despite their great power, are a very humble folk, seeking only to survive in a strange and not very welcoming world.
Human woman Lea is on a bus ride to nowhere. Down to her last few dollars, she has decided to end her life. Getting off at the last stop, a small southwestern town, she finds a bridge and is preparing to jump when she is stopped by a kind stranger, Karen. Who calmly points out what Lea can't see in the gathering darkness is that the bridge isn't very high and that the river beneath is completely dry. At most, she will just break her legs if she jumps.
Karen persuades Lea to come home with her which Lea agrees to do. She welcomed and treated like a member of the family. As she stays with Karen's family and comes to know the locals, Lea is exposed to things that she tries to dismiss as hallucinations or delusions. But the small miracles she witnesses are just the beginning of the lessons the People will teach her, giving Lea a new reason to keep on living.
The story of Lea is just the wrapper to tie together the short stories contained in this collection. But it works really well, and brings it all to a hopeful and inspiring conclusion. The stories are about people with strange powers trying to find others of their own kind, of trying to understand what they are supposed to be doing with their amazing abilities and of coming together with others to find refuge from a hostile world.
It's a fun read and often quite touching.
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