Flashcards and The Curse of Ambrosia is a 178 page volume chock full of insight. Two wise, witty women narrate the two novellas, set in suburban LA. The first is Phoebe, the daughter of a glamorous, alcoholic mother and a self-absorbed, disconnected father, who forms a holy alliance with her brother in order to ensure their survival. “The Curse of Ambrosia” is narrated by Phoebe’s edgy friend, Dessa. After a 70-year hiatus the two reconvene in the overpopulated dystopia that today’s environmentalists are working to stave off. The setting permits commentary on topics from the demise of public education to the effects of global warming, but the book is as much a paean to friendship as it is a cautionary tale. The reader is left to ponder the effects of complacency on our fragile planet as well as the value of the relationships in his/her life. Witty, poignant, and poetic, Robert’s engaging stories impart both wisdom and joy, evoking pathos and laughter in equal measure.