Helen, a strong swimmer, gets caught in an ocean undertow while trying to save her children. The power of nature is revealed in this beautifully lyrical story of a woman drowning, trying to stay alive and praying for rescue.

The short story collection Poached Egg On Toast showcases Itani’s ability to shine a clear light on what it feels like to be an outsider, displaced and disconnected from the world at hand, and how a single, small moment can cause a seismic shift in our emotional landscape. Wickedly funny and unbearably sad, Itani’s stories leave us with a renewed sense of humanity.

HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short stories collection to build your digital library.

Besides her two previous books of poetry (No Other Lodgings, Fiddlehead, 1978 and Rentee Bay, Quarry, 1983), Frances Itani has published a children's book and co-authored a book of short stories. More recently, Frances Itani, a Member of the Order of Canada, had a spectacular international debut with her first novel, Deafening, which received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book (Canada and Caribbean Region) and was shortlisted for the 2005 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award; it was a #1 bestseller in Canada. Her second novel, Remembering The Bones, was shortlisted for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Itani’s short story collection, Poached Egg On Toast, won the 2005 Ottawa Book Award and the 2005 CAA Jubilee Award for Short Stories. Itani lives in Ottawa.

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