In stories of stark passion and haunting trauma, "Contrary Angel" finds an acute clarity in those moments when human desires meet the sorcery of the world. The stories are exuberantly diverse in both subject matter and technique, as evidenced by a few of their titles: Urchipelago', Karaoke Mon Amour', Cogagwee', Do Not Stand Outside the Grande Restaurant.' They take us from the brilliant career of the runner Tom Longboat to the comic machinations of a peeping Tom landlord. The final four-story sequence, Doctors', follows an Egypt-obsessed girl from a savage childhood incident through her running' years as an athlete, traveller, wife and doctor, culminating in a devastating encounter in an operating room in the middle of the night.
Stories from "Contrary Angel" have appeared twice in "The Journey Anthology," twice in "Best Canadian Stories," and won the Silver Medal at the National Magazine Awards.