Three stories in this collection are part of the same narrative. “The Cashier” is an apathetically bitter snapshot of a young woman, Kathleen, who has recently moved back in with her parents and obtained employment at the local Toys-O-Rama. The story demonstrates the banality of big box store life and Kathleen’s not-so- enthusiastic return to the nest. There’s no arc in this fly-on-the-wall tale and as a stand-alone piece it doesn’t deliver much. Kathleen returns in “The Baby Section” to replace a distressed co-worker in Toys-O-Rama’s infant department, which forces her to confront her own predicament as the morning gets the better of her and she vomits all over a customer’s pair of shoes. “Red Earrings” follows Kathleen through another day as she starts to settle into her routine.

The office environment in “Team Players” pits employees against management, the sarcastic against the cheery, us against them. It’s a familiar hierarchy where disdain trickles up from the sales team to management, and demoralizing regulations pour back down from the higher ups.

After some consideration, it has been decided that while drawing in between phone calls is unacceptable, doodling will be permitted.

Thank you, Management

(And yes, someone is in charge of distinguishing between the two.) The more interesting notion of “the costs of being female” (as stated on the back cover) starts to emerge from the humdrum and toil. Pregnancy, menstruation, breasts – all of these have consequences. Pregnant women experience reduced mobility not only physically, but also professionally. In “Team Players,” a pregnant Tanya explains to her co-worker how much she needs her current job in the face of the company’s cutbacks. “I couldn’t  keep the job  had when I got pregnant, and no one wants to hire you once you’re showing. They know you’ll be gone soon, I guess, or they don’t want to get saddled with your maternity pay and shit.”