Gather the Fragments, That None May Be Lost is the fictional story of a small group of young, homeless, mothers living in a shelter in Manhattan who dream of a better life for themselves and their children. The characters are loosely based on a number of single mothers whose lives have intersected with the author's, as students, colleagues, and friends, as well as the clients of a shelter for battered women. The book is the story of their quest to bring their dream of a Mothers' Village to reality.