In this collection, Cross unflinchingly explores the dark side of parenting and family drama in ways equally startling and unforgettable. Always the Sun Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Looking for a fresh start after the death of his wife, Sam and his thirteen-year-old son, Jamie, return to Sam's hometown. But at his new school, a group of kids led by a savage bully target Jamie, and the administration does nothing. When Jamie comes home bearing real, physical scars, Sam is left at a crossroads: How far will he go to protect his child? Natural History: In a last-ditch attempt to save their floundering marriage, Patrick and Jane founded an animal sanctuary called Monkeyland. But following the mysterious death of an ape, Patrick becomes obsessed, while Jane's in Zaire shooting a nature show-and possibly cheating-and their son gets fired after an altercation. As a predatory cat stalks the periphery of the dilapidated zoo, Jane and Patrick's search for wild beasts blinds them to the danger in their own backyard.
