Locked Out : Stories Far from Home

Travel to Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Sri Lanka with Alison Lester's challenging, charming characters as they grapple with a sense of dislocation and the nagging possibility of betrayal that accompanies new beginnings. The title story, 'Locked Out', offers an unsparing look at the life of an American wife and mother living in Tokyo, who is confronted by her first gray hairs and who suspects her executive husband of having an affair with his sleek Japanese assistant. 'Bill's Bones' chronicles a middle-aged Australian lady's return to the Indonesian Club Med resort where her husband, Bill, drowned after an argument the year before.

In 'Really Trying to Get Somewhere', a pair of jaded, eight-years-married travel agents go on a junket to Sri Lanka and fare rather badly.

Unable to summon the enthusiasm for a meaningful connection with each other, they drink to excess at parties and horse races. Alison Lester writes evocatively about the many facets of being far from home or uncomfortable where home is. Factor in the honest and amusing dialogue, and Lester's graceful prose, and the result is a very genuine collection of stories that will appeal to seasoned and armchair travellers alike.