An acclaimed collection of stories from the internationally bestselling author of The Crimson Petal and the White

Deft and lyrical, this paperback edition of Michel Faber's collection of stories is his first since his auspicious debut, Some Rain Must Fall. It has sealed his reputation as one of Britain's most daring and original authors.

Acclaimed for his pitch-perfect prose and brilliant characterisation, Faber is also celebrated for his mastery of contrasting styles. From achingly sad lost lives, through moments of exquisitely distilled happiness, to biblical innocence and savagery, Faber's characters are redeemed, abandoned, beloved and laid bare.

"By turns crepuscular, buoyant, delicate, wry, horrific, otherworldly, this worldly and organ-rupturingly funny collection is a vitamin-boost for the British short-story" - * Guardian *

"If you want to see just how far the short story can take you, you have to buy this book" - * The Scotsman *

"As always with Faber, these stories are lifted by a delicate sense of otherness that suggest they inhabit a world almost imperceptibly parallel to our own" - * Metro *

"I dread to think where Faber gets his inspiration from, but there's certainly no shortage of it in sight" - * Independent on Sunday *