The Sunlight on the Garden

This collection of short stories exemplifies Francis King's mastery of place and the remarkable emotional range that he expresses in his writings. The poignant title story is an unflinching examination of the relationship between a tough, self-willed elderly man and the young woman determined to exploit him. There are three chilling stories of the supernatural, "Now You See It," set in Egypt; "The Pushchair," set in Brighton; and "The Sitting Tenant," set in London. In "Dreams," an elderly man recollects an event that took place during a school trip to Belgium just before World War II, which he now realizes was the most important event in his life. In "Everyone Is Nobody," a devastating story of bereavement slowly unfolds.