A collection of writing that reflects the subject of friendship in all it's guises. What brings more joy and more consolation than friendship? It is the glue that binds fragmented societies, and the lubricant that keeps their rusty machinery chugging along. Our friends define us, and the very word ' Friend ' derives from the Old English word for ' love ' In this eclectic selection, Shena Mackay concentrates on the modern. Her choice ranges from the 1st world war, through the familiar and less well known, to preivously unpublished stories very much of our time. Friends are celebrated with humour and wit, but darker aspects, loss, betrayal and regret, are also touched on in this portrayal of the innumerable permutations of friendship.