Nine Lives is a collection of dark short stories, highlighting the complex emotional lives of both ordinary and extraordinary people. Some are tragedies, some end with uplifting resolutions; and there are moments of humour and high drama, hope and courage throughout. Absorbing characters include an ex-RAF crewman haunted by his memories of the Dresden fire bombings, a conscientious objector forced onto the parade ground against his will, a cross-dresser facing an uncomfortable reunion with his estranged father, a moral dilemma for Hans Asperger, and a young Norman Wisdom struggling against poverty and adversity. For the reader who enjoys variety as well as satisfying surprises, Nine Lives will leave you purring.