This book of short stories has no one theme, but gets it shape and unification from Galloway's strong, highly individual voice and the eerie atmosphere of fear and tenderness it manages to convey. From the very short (The Meat) to the longer pieces (A week with Uncle Felix) this collection rattles with desperate life, vivdness and a visceral edge all its own. I defy anyone to read BLOOD (the title story) without feeling the sensation of a former tooth extraction, though what she does with the story goes much further, turning an everyday, unremarkable mutilation into a parable threaded with loss, yearning and isolation from the the herione's dearest source of comfort, music. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to read more in the contemporary Scots voice or who enjoys virtuoso writing for its own sake. Galloway is a rare, brave writer.