Five Stars

This selection of short stories opens with a provocative incident that makes a young girl take an unforeseen souvenir with her when she is about to immigrate from Europe across the Atlantic at the threshold of the 20th century. Some decades later, a few world-famous figures are randomly brought together as they audaciously try out a health programme offered by a notorious vegetarian community at their resort, Monte Verità, located on a secluded hill overlooking a huge lake. The baffling outcome of an intrigued child’s innocent misunderstanding of a single word heard during a chance encounter on a city bus and other mysterious twists and turns, such as the apparent loss of a prized keepsake in Venice, move the lives and views of memorable characters in their endeavours to attain individual fulfilment in their modern-day adventures. In another world, a visitor at a posh winter holiday destination is haunted by ghosts of her past and daring childhood adventures. Here, her incidental meeting with an endearing boy, who is almost her alter ego, changes the course of his life forever. Five captivating stories highlighting the characters’ mettle offer a multifaceted read: touching, cheerful, educational, inspiring, and riveting.