Short story collection in which poignancy, sadness and frequently strange and strained family relationships are, usually, written with some flair and delicacy. These are stories with often fairly slight incidents and narratives, but pretty significant descriptive and emotional impact. As a result, some of the stories can feel a little unfulfilling and the writing can overshadow what’s being written about. However, the descriptions – for example in Zoo-Zoo and The Damascus Plum more than compensate.