Fishing the Sloe-Black River , Paperback/Colum McCann

An ageing nun is tracked to ground by her sister; a garrulous beautician must lay out the corpse of a loved one. These are eloquent tales of exile and displacement, of characters always in search of a way back home or of a way to leave it. Mischievous, assured and versatile, Colum McCann's collection of short stories marks him out as one of our best contemporary writers. " A gifted and determined stylist, Colum McCann seems to have taken a vow never to write a dull line. " ( New York Times Book Review ) " Orwell would have been proud to journey with a writer as good as Colum McCann. " ( Irish Sunday Independent )