"Some people are born to gossip; some people achieve mastery of it through hard work; and some have gossiping thrust upon them, by being in the right place at the right time."

Set in the backcountry landscape of Blue Valley, Kentucky, Elaine Fowler Palencia's Small Caucasian Womanoffers a collection of related, short stories about a small-town fueled by gossip. Palencia describes hardships - such as alienation and depression - that accompany life in a largely overlooked region. Among these common themes are also stories of hope and change in an area that always stays the same. Palencia's honest interpretation of country life will entice readers of all avenues, especially those who know what it's like to grow up in a community where everybody knows everybody.