Aphrodite's Hat by Salley Vickers

Aphrodite's Hat

Salley Vickers

About love, a little magic, some awkward children, ordinary people at pivotal moments in their lives, these short stories are gems. So little is spelled out, but so much is revealed that I felt as if I had got to know the characters through full length novels, rather than the beautifully written stories in which not a word is wasted. Look out for the sting in each tail!

Extract
Sometimes, if one is lucky, one catches these moments as they occur, like a kingfisher flashing in front of the eyes before one has time to register it. As I observed that pared-down pause between the two men, who had together bent their heads towards my injured foot, I witnessed something. They knew each other. More than that, they had a history.
Parallels
  • Pulse by Julian Barnes
  • The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life by William Nicholson
  • Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith