A petty thief is bested by a widow and her card-playing friends; a farmer must cope with raising his baby granddaughter; a train engineer inadvertently causes a major disaster and finds himself amidst a media frenzy; a young man falls in love with a voice on the radio; and a camera repairman discovers a woman's family history in a roll of undeveloped film. Ordinary people are confronted with extraordinary situations, with results that are sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, but always life changing.

In stories filled with heart and humour, Tim Gautreaux explores the stresses and strains of everyday life as his characters struggle to make amends for their mistakes and hope for different, better days to come.

By the acclaimed author of THE MISSING and THE CLEARING, 23 scintillating tales of small kindnesses, big decisions and secret lives.

About the Author
Born and raised in Louisiana, Tim Gautreaux lives there still with his family. His stories have been published in Harper's, the Atlantic Monthly, GQ, Zoetrope, Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards, and Best American Short Stories, and collected in two volumes. Acclaimed as 'one of the best writers to have emerged in the 1990s' by Kirkus Reviews, his first novel, THE NEXT STEP IN THE DANCE, won the 1999 SEBA Book Award, and was followed in 2003 by the highly acclaimed THE CLEARING. In 2005, he was awarded the John Dos Passos Prize. His latest novel, THE MISSING, was published in 2009.

Reviews
This outstanding collection marks Tim Gautreaux as one of the best short story writers anywhere...it is magnificently enjoyable reading * Annie Proulx, Guardian *
Tim Gautreaux deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. Scintillating...unforgettable * Mail on Sunday *
'This man is a wonderful writer . . . I can honestly say I love to read his stories. He never exaggerates, never manipulates the reader's affections, but nonetheless he always captures the heart.' * James Lee Burke *
'Startling and redemptive . . . These stories suggest . . . that to be alive means being open to grief and accident, chance and wonder' * Chicago Tribune *
'Finely balanced, sweet, and gritty' * San Francisco Chronicle *



Book Information
ISBN 9780340834558
Author Tim Gautreaux
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Sceptre
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 276g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 131mm * 25mm