Elena Kess is wearing 6-inch lizard-skin stilettos the color of a moonless midnight. She's so high off the ground that she's tiptoeing rather than walking across 30th Avenue. »
For Camille Pisciotta, this is just like any other day, except that it isn't. By the time she's unlocked the gate at her Pampered Poodle Palace, her big blue eyes are tearing up. »
Miwako Kimura's designs start in her head; once her mind sees something, she makes a sketch or sometimes simply pushes the pieces of vintage jewelry around until they fit together. »
David Tepper didn't plan any of it. The universe pushed and pulled him in different directions until he found himself sitting behind the check-out desk at Nook n' Crannie, the second-hand shop that gives alcoholics and addicts a second chance. »
Tom Park has spent his career in the dry-cleaning business, and he lost a shop once before. But he's 49 now, and he didn't see this one coming. »
I moved to Astoria on a February day, when the daffodils were in full bloom and the snow was on the red, red roses. I didn't need a green thumb to figure out what had been staring me in the face: These flowers were fakes. »
Emily Zhang's story begins in Tianjin, an enormous city in northern China. The house was always filled with music, and, early on, Emily decided that she wanted to scale the scales, too. »
Elena Kess is wearing 6-inch lizard-skin stilettos the color of a moonless midnight. She's so high off the ground that she's tiptoeing rather than walking across 30th Avenue. »
