A man builds a tree house by a river, in anticipation of the coming flood. A sugar-beet crashes through a young woman's windscreen. A boy sets fire to a barn. A pair of itinerant labourers sit by a lake, talking about shovels and sex, while fighter-planes fly low overhead and prepare for war. These aren't the sort of things you imagine happening to someone like you. But sometimes they do. Set in the flat and threatened fenland landscape, where the sky is dominant and the sea lurks just beyond the horizon, these delicate, dangerous, and sometimes deeply funny stories tell of things buried and unearthed, of familiar places made strange, and of lives where much is hidden, much is at risk, and tender moments are hard-won.

WHAT ARE THE DEFINING ELEMENTS OF SHORT FICTION BY CONTEMPORARY WOMEN WRITERS? HOW DO THEY NAVIGATE THE WORLD AROUND THEM TO CREATE LITERATURE? These questions gave shape to the idea of The Punch Magazine's inaugural anthology, comprising 18 short stories, selected from the pool of submissions by women writers in India and around the world, that showcase just how culture, besides the past, informs and illuminates literature., The stories featured in this anthology reflect a certain kind of sensibility and sensitivity. It takes us along the pathways these writers forge to create art out of the rhythms and ruptures of life, dwelling on their characters' experiences and memories of a thousand pleasures and pains suspended in the continuum of time. Steeped in the cultural moorings of the places they are set in-from Kashmir to Kerala, and from Washington and London to Rome-these stories portray the concerns and preoccupations of individuals both within and outside the precincts of home. They speak of our times-the way we live, the way we love.

Nikki blames her brother, Derek, for their parents' death in a house fire, but when Derek gets involved with a gang, Nikki knows she is the only one who can save him. Enlisting the help of a girl named Rain, who uses her athletic abilities to carry out acts of petty thievery, Nikki uses all her gymnastic and free-running skills to stay ahead of the gang and keep her brother from being killed.

The classic graphic novel - a dark fable of childhood and growing up.

Punching. Although it seems like one of the simplest forms of self-defense, this ancient form of combat is actually more complex than you would ever imagine. Now, in this fully illustrated and easy-to-use book, the art of punching is decoded for readers everywhere. This book will teach you the elements of the perfect punch, including: - How to make a fist and not break your fingers - Crashing in - Taking a punch - Striking first - A knockout blow Combining the best punching techniques from various schools of martial arts, including karate, boxing, and Krav Maga, How to Punch by Martin J. Dougherty offers valuable advice for both the beginner and the experienced martial art practitioner who wants to learn about fighting.

"Originally published in the United Kingdom by Oxford University Press Children's Books in 2015"--Page facing title page.