The settings of the stories in this collection range from the beaches and redwood forests of California to the cliffs of Australia's Blue Mountains, from the snowy streets of Munich to the balmy south coast of Spain, from Paris's Latin Quarter to the islands of the Adriatic, and finally, to Roberts' own familiar turf in London. The subject matter covered spans everything from rites of passage vignettes of youth to explorations of the way we face and cope with infidelity, illness, grief and death. While many will find within them nostalgic echoes of their own life experiences, there are also, hopefully, insightful glimpses into relationships and lives beyond the known and the familiar that should leave the reader pondering them for some time to come.