One of the most stiking writers to emerge from this years Phoenix Irish Short Stories is a young Irish American, Molly McCloskey. Writing with the lyricism ofwilliam Trevor and the narrative power of John McGahern, she charts the territory of human relationships, deftly unpeeling the layers of social mores inhuman behaviour, to reveal the dark soul underneath. In this superb collection Moll McCloskey combines the very best of both literary traditions Irish romanticism and American candour to prove herself a refreshing new voice of striking maturity and enormous potential.