The narrative revolves around Alan Goldin, a goldsmith chosen by the gods to address critical ecological and spiritual dilemmas facing the world. As he navigates his personal crisis, the story intertwines myth and fairytale, exploring profound questions about divine intervention and humanity's fate. Rich in layers, it presents a tapestry of interconnected tales that challenge the reader to consider the relationship between the divine and the urgent issues of our time.
"The stories ... combine everyday events with surreal and fantastical elements: the title story deals with a dog called Worm; in another, a husband and wife quarrel over a hot tray and a plugless lamp; and in another, a man encounters a speaking baboon in his kitchen."--Back cover.
Unhappily married Cape Town academic Art Berger is offered what appears to be a professional lifeline: to reconstitute the final papers of the great South African writer Charles de Villiers into book-form. He is uncomfortable about the role of ghost-writer, but the project becomes literary detective-work he cannot give up.