Everything a Parent Needs to Know

Made for 4 Extra. Carys Bray's collection of short stories, Sweet Home, won the 2012 Scott Prize.

Helen, a single mother, is struggling to bring up her two children, Jessica and Paul, following a painful divorce. We hear her trying different strategies to cope with little Jessica, and her attempts are juxtaposed with extracts from a selection of parenting books. Read by Emma Fielding.

With psychological insight and lightness of touch frequently found in fairy tales, Carys Bray delves under the surface of ordinary lives to explore loss, disappointment, frustrated expectations and regret. Described as 'not just excellent, but significant', by poet and critic Robert Sheppard, these dark and lyrical stories illuminate extraordinary and everyday occurrences with humanity and humour.

Bray's stories are never afraid to expose the darkness that exists behind suburban front doors, but at their heart are brave, moving evocations of what it means to be at home with those you love.

Abridged by John Peacock
Producer David Blount

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Pier Productions.