"The following stories that appear in this work have been previously published: 'Kindness' was originally published in A Public Space; 'A man like him' and 'Gold boy, emerald girl' were originally published in The New Yorker; 'Prison' was originally published in Tin House; 'The proprietress' was originally published in Zoetrope: All-Story; 'House fire' was originally published in Granta; 'Number three, Garden Road' was originally published in Waving at the Gardner: The Asham Award Short-Story Collection; 'Sweeping past' was orginally published in The Gaurdian; 'Souvenir' was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle"--T.p. verso.

Kindness -- A man like him -- Prison -- The proprietress -- House fire -- Number three, Garden Road -- Sweeping past -- Souvenir -- Gold boy, emerald girl.

A collection of nine short stories that offer a vision of the human fate.