The unforgettable characters of these four enchanting new novellas from the queen of British literature range from James Reid, a British soldier on the African fringes of the Second World War, and his long-lost illegitimate son, to Roz and Lil, two lifelong friends whose past passions erupt to destroy the very people they love the most. These stories are as varied in style and subject as they are unified in their brilliance and insight into the often disquieting truths of the human condition.