very strange collection, not an off-putting strange more of a "double life of veronique" strange. maybe my feelings are coloured by the warmth of the cover art, the fact that everything in my life was orange black the week i read this, or Tomalin saying the book is of a world that does not exist anymore, but every story was perfect for a winter evening, even the one's that took place on a hot day in the new zealand outback. mansfield is an expert at showcasing the rich and tumultuous inner lives of women and so many stories have a quiet glow to them. 
favourites: the tiredness of rosabel, the swing of the pendulum, bliss, the daughters of the late colonel