Now a major film starring Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Rose Byrne.

'To read him is to be reminded not just of the possibilities of fiction but of the human heart.' The Times

Here are turnings of all kinds – changes of heart, nasty surprises, slow awakenings, sudden detours – where people struggle against the terrible weight of the past and challenge the lives they've made for themselves.

Beautifully crafted, and as tender as they are confronting, these elegiac stories examine the darkness and frailty of ordinary people and celebrate the moments when the light shines through.

'Each of these 17 stories is a self-contained whole – as all good short stories should be – yet the sequence reveals striking connections among seemingly disparate lives and experiences. The result is at times mysterious, moving and occasionally deeply unsettling … A memorable book and a fine achievement.' Sydney Morning Herald

'The writing is frankly brilliant … Winton shows us how startling ordinary life is. And he does it in a way that's more amazing than if he had shown a ghost shimmering on the page.' Boston Globe