This collection of stories is not merely a reflection but an illumination of contemporary Australia, with narrative ranging from a single incident of situation - finding a machete in your front lawn one morning, children's reception of the fact of death - to fluid and complex issues of suggestion and relationships. But time and again contentment, hope or at least a dignified refusal to despair, is wrung out of this grim world - and that's the triumph of the human spirit.
A crystalline, taut and beautifully lucid collection of short stories crafted with a highly sophisticated narrative technique.