Red Umbrella

and Other Stories

  1. Red Umbrella

  2. My Very Own Schlegel

  3. Tamara in the Oxfam Shop

  4. Faith and Grace

  5. The Survey

  6. Someone to Buy Me Flowers

  7. Swans

  8. Night and Day

  9. Some Grow, Some Fail

  10. Laurel Leaves

  11. The Long Summer

  12. Ballantyne's Day

Genre: Short Stories

Red Umbrella is a collection of twelve diverse and tender stories based on encounters, friendships and sometimes romance with remarkable women. Each story is her story.

Faith and Grace

Contents

Red Umbrella

Someone to Buy Me Flowers

Red Umbrella is the story of a burgeonoing and unexpected romance with a woman who lost a red umbrella

My Very Own Schlegel four diverse and different people recall a longed-for summer school and the life-changing tutor who reminds them of Margaret Schlegel from Howard's End.

Tamara in the Oxfam Shop is the story of Tamara who works in an Oxfam shop and idealistic Toby who is bewitched by her

Faith and Grace Faith is widowed and can't afford the payments on her mortgage any longer. Facing homelessness, she's offered a flat in a council estate tower block. She's befriended by Gloria and Gloria's six-year-old daughter Grace, becoming like a second mother to her. An incident occurs to change the direction of her life.

The Survey: Gail maintains she has everything and is very happy, but taking part in a survey reveals that her life is not what it seems.

Someone to Buy Me Flowers: Kristina is managing fine these days but longs for someone to buy her flowers.

Swans: Keisha is from Jamaica and has always had low self-esteem until she realises how beautiful her daughter is turning out to be

Night and Day: she bursts into tears when she sees her new baby. The cycle of life continues

Some Grow, Some Fail: a musician makes it big while the best friend who supported her fades into obscurity

Laurel Leaves: he encounters her after years and years, having a cigarette behind a hedge

The Long Summer: an unexpected voicemail leads him to recall the events of a long summer many years ago

Ballantyne’s Day: a day in the life of a music journalist who has a lot on her plate