In these twelve stories, a waiter divulges a shocking life of crime to his ex-wife; a woman repeats the story of her parents' unstable marriage after a horrible tragedy; a schoolgirl regrets gossiping about the cuckolded man who tutors her; and, in the volume's title story, a middle-aged accountant offers his reasons for ending a love affair. At the heart of this collection is Trevor's characteristic tenderness and unflinching eye for both the humanizing and dehumanizing aspects of modern urban and rural life.

Contents:
- Sitting with the dead
- Traditions
- Justina's priest
- An evening out
- Graillis's legacy
- Solitude
- Sacred statues
- Rose wept
- Big bucks
- On the streets
- The dancing-master's music
- A bit on the side