Adaughter flies into a painting to escape her overprotective mother. An exchangestudent sees green lights in the sky above South America and fears the worst.Against the backdrop of an Italian bird market, a holidaying teenager makes herfirst attempt at seduction. And an affair that never happens is deconstructedwhile tigers pace in a European zoo.

Wild Gestures is the first collection fromBritish writer Lucy Durneen, bringing together stories of loss, desire andopportunities missed, all orbiting the painful knowledge that the things wemost long for remain the furthest from reach.