The Faber book of contemporary stories about childhood - Lorrie Moore

In this dazzling selection some of today's best writers, including Margaret Atwood, Toni Cade Bambara, Spalding Gray, Jamaica Kincaid, Susan Minot, Alice Munro, Edna O'Brien, Ben Okri and Amy Tan capture childhood incidents that are comic, startling, touching and disturbing. Each story is told by a child character or by the adult who was that child, skilfully preserving the child's voice and role as actor and witness in the drama. They explore pivotal moments in childhood when something becomes known, something is tested, some turning point reached, showing us the ways in which adult actions resonate through children, and the real import of childhood perceptions, allegiances and decisions.