A collection of eight prize winning short stories by historical novelist, Jill Rutherford. Serious, funny, a little off centre, they give you a glimpse into people's lives - the day after someone won the lottery, a country mansion that talks, a tale of two cities - London and Tokyo, a dog's tale of resilience, a woman who cannot live without the colour red in her life, the mystery of two ladies in kimono, a faggots and peas cafe, a woman who is caught up in the Japanese tsunami.

There are also two excerpts from the author's other books.