The Atmospheric Railway (Storycuts)

Neville is captivated by the story of his distant aunt, a Victorian woman who set up a school for sickly children. But visiting the part of London where he grew up stirs up memories of his own childhood and personal history, causing him to re-assess his outlook in the present day.

Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collectionThe Atmospheric Railway.

Shena Mackay was born in Edinburgh. She is the author of four previous collections of stories -Babies in Rhinestones,Dreams of Dead Women's Handbags,The Laughing AcademyandThe World's Smallest Unicorn. Her novels includeDunedin,The Orchard on Fire(which was shortlisted for the 1996 Booker Prize),The Artist's WidowandHeligoland(which was shortlisted for the 2003 Orange Prize).

A retired man makes a trip to London to visit his cousin and to investigate their shared family history.