Alison Moore

The themes of the stories collected here centre around family, relationships, loss, and uncertainty. Some of the stories create a sense of claustrophobia as the characters become trapped in situations beyond their control. Each piece has its own unique style but the thread weaving through the collection is an intangible sense of anticipation.

Since childhood, Sandra Peters has been fascinated by the small, private island of Lieloh, home to the reclusive silent-film star Valerie Swanson. Having dreamed of going to art college, Sandra is now in her forties and working as a receptionist, but she still harbours artistic ambitions. When she sees an advert for a two-week artists' retreat on Lieloh, Sandra sets out on what might be a life-changing journey.

Futh, a middle-aged and newly separated man, is on his way to Germany for a restorative walking holiday. As he sets out along the Rhine, he contemplates an earlier trip to Germany and the things he has done in his life, but he does not foresee the potentially devastating consequences of things he has not done.