From prize-winning short-story writer Cate Kennedy comes a new collection to rival her highly acclaimed Dark Roots. In 'Like a House on Fire', Kennedy once again examines ordinary lives and dissects their ironies and injustices with her humane eye and wry sense of humour. In 'Laminex and Mirrors', a cleaner at a nursing home helps a patient to escape, if only temporarily. In 'Cross Country', a jilted lover manages to misinterpret her ex's new life. In 'Whirlpool', two sisters bond in the face of their mother's resentment at the life she's been given. Cate Kennedy's poignant short stories reveal the beauty and tragedy of everyday life.