Book description
When two flamboyant men arrive in a sleepy Kent village in 1956, it
does not take long for the duo - in their colourful corduroy jackets
and jeans - to gain notoriety. Local child Joe, in a burst of
irrepressible curiosity, is discovered by the pair after breaking into
their cottage in order to spy on the 'bloody pansies'. From these
unlikely beginnings, a friendship and sense of solidarity develop
between the three; but it is an alliance that will be challenged by a
hostile and intolerant community.
Part of the Storycuts series, this story was 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).
