A woman finds her everyday life engulfed by vivid fantasies, a businessman explores new ways to deal with his rage, a young woman is stuck on a boat with a bunch of delinquents, a diary is discovered, a commune goes wrong …

In this captivating collection of short fiction, award-winning novelist Amanda Lohrey explores the dilemmas of modern life. Her characters find themselves caught between body and spirit, memory and desire, ambition and mortality – and they must transform themselves or be trapped.

Shot through with a serene intelligence, these tales enlighten and entertain in equal measure.

Awards

Winner of the Fiction Book Award, 2011 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards

Winner of the Australian Short Story Collection Award, 2011 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards

Praise

“Full of riches”—Age

“Cool, clear, accomplished tales.”—Sunday Age

“Full of gorgeously framed images and language that begs the reader to wholly enter the lives she renders.”—Canberra Times

"Not a word out of place...Reading Madame Bovary is a pleasure to read”—Bookseller & Publisher

 “Lohrey has positioned each character, crafted each setting and adopted each perspective so that from the outset, the reader can only relish the diversity and sumptuousness of the reading experience. ”—Courier Mail

"Compelling."—Herald Sun

Interviews & Reviews

Read Amanda Lohrey’s 10 tips for writing a short story