A wealth of lively characters and true-to-life situations in this collection confirm Lena Kennedy's reputation as one of our most vivid and compelling storytellers.

The title story, 'Ivy of the Angel', reveals why an elderly bag lady becomes the centre of attention in an Oxford Street store; 'The Lonely Road' is the tale of thwarted love in London's East End; 'The Willows Wept With Me', 'Linda's Revenge' and 'The Long Dream' are all examples of how the smooth surface of a buried past can be disrupted by the intrusions of the present.

With the freshness and directness that have become her hallmark, Lena Kennedy explores the enduring power of love, the triumph of hope over adversity, the problems of illness and prejudice, and the quirky kindness of fate.