Two unexpected tales written and read by the bestselling author of The Uncommon Reader, Untold Stories, and The History Boys: Alan Bennett. In The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson, a conventional middle-class woman is beached on the shores of widowhood after a marriage that had been much like many others: happy to begin with, then satisfactory, and finally dull. But when she decides to take in two lodgers, her mundane life becomes much more stimulating. In The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes, a disappointed middle-aged mother dotes on her only son, Graham, who believes he must shield her from the truth. As Graham's double life becomes increasingly complicated, we realize how little he understands, not only of his own desires but also those of his mother. As this is Alan Bennett, we soon discover that what is happening in the bedroom (and in lots of other places too) is altogether more startling, perhaps shocking, and ultimately more true to people's predilections.