Tea at the Midland — David Constantine

Filled with characters that are often delicately caught in moments of defiance, disregarding their age, their family, or the prevailing political winds, this collection finds a space for resistance and taking an honest delight in it. Alphonse, having broken out of an old people's home, changed his name, and fled the country, pedals down the length of the Rhône despite knowing he has barely six months to live. Meanwhile, a clergyman chooses to spend Christmas Eve -- and the last few hours in his job -- in a frozen, derelict school, dancing a wild jig with a vagrant called Goat. Holding real life at arm's length, this volume's bewitching, finely-wrought stories allow readers to escape and to take possession of the moment.