These are three short stories by novelist and playwright, Catherine Czerkawska. They might be subtitled 'four love stories' but it's up to the reader to decide who loves what and why. In the title story, A Quiet Afternoon in the Museum of Torture, Ros and Davy, holidaying in Tuscany with their new baby, confront the emotional realities of parenthood and the suddenly threatening new world in which they find themselves. This is a disturbing short story with many levels of meaning. In The Butterfly Bowl, Debbie inherits a precious and almost magical object, but is faced with an impossible choice. Things will never be the same again. Breathe is a quirky celebration of an unsung Yorkshire life and an exploration of the power of memory. Czerkawska's writing has been variously described as moving, quietly provocative, lyrical and blisteringly eloquent. It is always readable. If you like even some of these stories, you might enjoy the author's longer fiction.
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