Book description
In 'Crossing the Border', Flora is in the process of writing a
biographical account of a famous ancestor. She sets out to interview
her great-uncle Lorimer, who - as one might expect from a celebrated
ex-clown - now resides in a home for retired circus-folk. Upon
arriving at the home, however, she is informed that Lorimer sadly
passed away only a few hours earlier, and that he has left her a
perplexing yet fitting memento.
In' Trouser Ladies', 'Aunty Bea' is remembered by the
red-haired daughters of Betty Ling, a lady for whom Beatrice secretly
nursed a life-long, unrequited love. Following their mother's deaths,
twins Erica and Heather Ling fondly reminisce about when the exotic
Beatrice came to stay - much to their father's displeasure. Meanwhile,
Betty's other daughter Catriona resolves to meet the now elderly Beatrice.
Part of the Storycuts series, these two stories were previously
published in the collection The Atmospheric Railway.
Shena Mackay was born in Edinburgh. She is the author of four
previous collections of stories -
Babies in Rhinestones
,
Dreams of Dead Women's Handbags
,
The Laughing Academy
and
The World's Smallest Unicorn
. Her novels include
Dunedin
,
The Orchard on Fire
(which was shortlisted for the 1996 Booker Prize),
The Artist's Widow
and
Heligoland
(which was shortlisted for the 2003 Orange Prize).
