The 14 stories in this collection demonstrate the breadth of Éilís Ní Dhuibhne's achievement across her writing career, particularly in terms of her depiction of the complex territory of women's lives. They are testament to her enduring talent for weaving stories that draw us in and stay with us in the silence, long after the story has ended.

"When the story is finished, Muriel and Polly sit in silence. The colored lights on the fuchsia bush twinkle against the black sea and the black mountain and the black sky. They sit in silence. They let the story settle."

For almost forty years, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne has captivated readers and critics alike with the dazzle and daring of her stories. Hailed as an original voice from her first collection, she has gone on to create a body of work that has established her as one of Ireland's finest and most compelling storytellers.

The fourteen stories gathered here demonstrate the breadth of Ní Dhuibhne's achievement across her long writing career, particularly in terms of her depiction of the richly complex territory of women's lives. They are testament to her great and enduring talent for weaving stories that draw us in and stay with us in the silence, long after the story has ended.

"A masterful storyteller, tonally adept at pivoting from searing and political, to comic and moving in a matter of pages." - SINÉAD GLEESON

"Ní Dhuibhne's stories stand out for their superb sense of character and time and place." - COLM TÓIBÍN

"A fully contemporary writer working old magic; Ní Dhuibhne calls on ancient tradition to renew the way we see the world." - ANNE ENRIGHT