The stories in Better Than My Own Life, occurring from the Great Depression years of the 1930's to the more recent 1970's, are set either on Central Kentucky tobacco farms or in the Appalachian Mountains to the East. Regardless of setting, these stories delve into the hearts and minds of a diverse set of characters, whose choices and intentions have determined their destinies. Throughout the collection, the reader gets a glimpse of the many emotions, love, hate, resentment, and jealousy, which can only be resolved by the transformative power of love. Each story provides insights into the machinations of the human heart.