Vintage Books, Auckland, 1998. Faded spine, otherwise good secondhand condition.

An engrossing collection of short stories from one of New Zealand's most distinguished writers. Fiona Kidman first wrote short stories in the 1960s and has continued to publish them in books, magazines and journals ever since. Her style has evolved as she has explored different forms over the years, but her piercingly vivid realisations of everyday people have remained a characteristic of her striking work. This is a collection of the best of her stories from the first thirty years of her writing career, including many old favourites from her acclaimed collections, Mrs Dixon and Friend, Unsuitable Friends and The Foreign Woman. She has gone on to write many more prize-winning books - including further stories, poetry, novels and memoir - but these stories stand the test of time and are testament to the quality and lasting appeal of her work.