First published 1994
William Trevor gathers his most compelling short fiction in this comprehensive collection. Characters navigate the complexities of Irish life across decades of social change. A widow discovers unexpected truths about her late husband's secret correspondence. An elderly man confronts his past when a childhood friend returns to their village. A young woman working in London struggles between her new independence and family obligations back home. Trevor captures moments when ordinary people face extraordinary revelations about themselves and those closest to them. His characters inhabit small towns and city neighborhoods where personal histories intersect with larger social transformations. Each story reveals the quiet dramas that unfold behind familiar facades. The collection showcases Trevor's ability to find profound meaning in seemingly mundane encounters and conversations.
Genres: literary-fiction, irish-literature, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: ordinary-encounters, quiet-drama
Setting: Ireland
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Hardcover · Prentice Hall