A collection of eclectic and original short stories that bring into focus those decisive moments in a person's life whose significance may not be recognised at the time, but which often have profound and lasting impacts long into the future.

The distorted contours of human nature, as practised in the daily activities of professional footballers; the repercussions of a young man's visit to the battlefields of Flanders to visit his grandfather's grave; a surprising encounter in a Parisian cafe; a boyhood friendship threatened by the evils of apartheid; the dilemma of parents excluded from their son's wedding; the search for the author of a mysterious postcard. Choices made on the basis of what we know - or what we think we know - which come back to torment us, challenge us, enlighten us; attitudes and behaviour we can barely comprehend; routine events and situations that bring with them periods of great sadness or unexpected happiness; confusion and clarity when long-hidden truths are finally revealed.

Tragedy, comedy, romance and history - these stories explore the patterns of all our lives.