Hunter begins a new life after his domineering best friend betrays him. Geoffrey discovers a new self when his world is suddenly turned upside down. Alicia wants to start again, but her painful history refuses to be left behind.

Beginnings takes many shapes, just as beginnings do. Gene Cary's exploration of beginnings depicts characters discovering new relationships with old friends, loved ones, and themselves. Meditations on work, family, and the self from the perspective of a career psychiatrist ground the stories, poems, and anecdotes of this book in a world where the past is always lurking, inescapable, but offers unique opportunities for those willing to face it.

Like a meandering river seen from the bank, then from a bird's eye view, Beginnings challenges perspectives on origins and futures, bringing action and drama to character studies, and quiet wisdom to themes of mortality, purpose, and the act of seeking what's next.