A collection of stories stretching from India to New England to Mexico from the author of Fasting, Feasting—an "undeniable genius" (TheWashington Post Book World). The men and women in these nine tales set out on journeys that suddenly go beyond the pale—or surprisingly lead them back to where they started. In the mischievous title story, a beloved dog brings nothing but disaster to his obsessed master; in other tales, old friendships and family ties stir up buried feelings, demanding either renewed commitment or escape. And in the final exquisite story, a young woman discovers a new kind of freedom in Delhi's rooftop community. This is a richly diverse, "quiet but deeply satisfying" collection of stories, from a three-time Man Booker Prize finalist (Kirkus Reviews). "Anita Desai is one of the most brilliant and subtle writers ever to have described the meeting of eastern and western culture . . . Both serious and wonderfully entertaining." —Alison Lurie, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Foreign Affairs "Served up with characteristic perspicuity, subtle humor and attention to the little hypocrisies of the middle class." —Publishers Weekly