Comprising four long stories – ‘The Becker Wives’, ‘The Joy Ride’, ‘A Happy Death’ and ‘Magenta’ – this collection is one of Lavin’s most celebrated.

First published in 1967, In the Middle of the Fields explores lives that are multi-layered and secretive, peculiar and intimate, and offers a window into the quiet tragedies and joys of human life. This collection is a profound example of Lavin’s unique control, insight and subtlety.

Happiness and Other Stories is perhaps the most cherished of all the acclaimed collections by Mary Lavin, who was not just one of Ireland's major writers, but ranked among the greatest short-story writers of the twentieth century in the English language.