Christine Arnothy
I Am Fifteen and I Do Not Want To Die

Christine Arnothy was just 15 years old in 1945. Here, she tells the moving story of fear and death, hunger and thirst as she hides in a cellar with her family from the marching tides of the German and Russian armies during the siege of Budapest. Praying she would survive, asking herself whether her terrifying experiences would ever be over, and mourning the loss of some of her fellow refugees, Christine found solace in her imagination and dreamt of having a life of her own. Christine Arnothy's story is a poignant coming-of-age memoir and a remarkable tale of ordinary lives destroyed by war. It was first published in 1955 in Paris as j'ai quinze ans et je ne veux pas maurir.

Margaret Atwood
Dancing Girls

Students and journalists, farmers and birdwatchers, ex-wives, adolescent lovers - and dancing girls. All are ordinary people. Or are they? In this splendid collection of short stories, Margaret Atwood maps the human motivation we scarcely know we have in a startlingly original voice, full of a rare intensity and exceptional intelligence. With brilliant flashes of fantasy, humour and unexpected violence, these stories reveal the complexities of human relationships and bring to life characters who evoke laughter, compassion, terror and recognition.

'Margaret Atwaad renders visual, aural, and tactile events in such crisp, surprising language that her images crackle' - WASHINGTON POST

Twistleton is a village untouched by time. Daisy, Jean, Freddie and their friends Aurelia and Laura are devoted to the place, so that when war breaks out Twistleton becomes the embodiment of everything for which they are fighting. For the previous generation the new conflict causes private despair, increased when Twistleton is requisitioned by the Army. Turfed out of their houses, the villagers take refuge at the Hall. It is here that evacuees from the East End, butler and countryman weld together to fight common enemies. With death haunting their every moment, love is their one all-too-fleeting consolation - and also their final triumph.