Twenty-four short stories round out this collection of well-honed social consciousness and complex characters. Andr�s Berger-Kiss upholds the virtues of the common man in his stories while often weaving a delicate thread of whimsy through many of his stories, such as in the award-winning title story, "The Sharpener." Many of his characters are not strangers to hope, and the inspiration they seek—or provide to others—is transmitted through the author's deeply moving prose and his clear vision of reality.