Whether set in Cape Town, Johannesburg or the remoteness of lonely farms, these stories present an acute and heartfelt sensitivity for the troubles of ordinary people during apartheid. They provide a rare historical record of the times, revealing the hopes and dreams of people of all races, that are only now becoming a reality. Dora Taylor's powers of observation enable her to conjure up the vibrancy of a city, the squalor of a shanty town or the peace of the veld. Although the stories are often heart-rendingly tragic, there is always an underlying quality of hope, springing from the author's intense desire that things should improve, an objective to which she devoted her life.