These elegant short stories take their impulse from the world of science, weaving together the historical and fictional. In "The English Pupil," Linnaeus, in old age, watches as the world he organized within his head slowly drifts beyond his reach. In "The Littoral Zone," two marine biologists wonder whether their life-altering affair finally was worth it. And in the title novella, a young Canadian doctor finds himself at the center of one of history's most tragic epidemics. Set against the backdrop of the nineteenth century, these eight exquisite tales illuminate the secret passions of those driven by a devotion to, and an intimate acquaintance with, the natural world.

North Star: An almost unmoving point of light. Find it and you will know your way home. This collection of short stories and poems captures the unique voices of forty-five Northern Irish female writers. From mountains to lakes, from country to shore, the words resonate with the literary tradition that cloaks the land and infuses each of our souls. My native land grounds me, keeps me in contact with the rhythms of nature, the sound of the winds, the call of the wild birds and the dialects of its people. Aine MacAodha No matter where you are reading these poems and stories, North Star will guide you home.

Beginning with a story of an ex sex-worker drifting through a rural town in South America, and ending with a young woman's sinister wedding night, Nash writes across the complications of working class women, rendering their desires with visceral prose and psychologically dissecting the fundamental root that threads her work: craving and the conflicts within.

Sometimes, certain things are not what they seem. With a little bit of luck, it pays to be at the right place at the right time and Stephie Jenkins, a young photographer with no formal education but sheer talent, proved that sometimes opportunities exists are the unlikeliest places. It was a chance in a lifetime when she was offered the job of being the photographer of a rock band, which entailed touring with the band for 6 months and taking photographs for their collection. Every young girl's fantasy is to fall in love with a rock star and be swept off their feet in glitz and glamour. It started out as an infatuation on the lead singer, Chris but as time goes by, she began to develop strong feelings for him. He was involved with another girl at first and paid her minimal attention but her kindness and patience paid off in the end when he broke off with his girlfriend and started a relationship with her. However, Stephie has a secret that will tear their relationship apart. Will Chris ever forgive Stephie when he finds out and will their love survive the different curveballs thrown their way? Only time will tell.