Six short stories by the author of "The Black Joke" and "The Bernadette," with a chilling twist on the traditional ghost story. An award-winning children's choir owes its success to someone who isn't there, while a young man finds he has someone living in his attic. A pensioner becomes a little too absorbed in his hobby, and a little girl waits for her big brother to come home. There are no terrifying monsters here, but there is gentle humour, a vivid insight into the world of children, and great sadness expressed in limpid, elegant prose.