Compassion and sympathy are omnipresent here
Harriet's parents tell her of the curse that a rat placed on her at birth
Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade
and soon Jende and Neni notice cracks in their employers’ façades
and interactions present in nature's disorder and wildness
Granta 129 : Fate Condition:Very Good Compassion and sympathy are omnipresentWhat is fate, in a culture of free will and self determination? Where do we project our doom, that ancient and evolving belief in predestination? In this issue of Granta, twenty two writers meditate on fate in all its many forms. Includes contributions by Anjan Sundaram, Andrea Stuart, Fatima Bhutto, Sam Coll, Joanna Kavenna, Joseph Roth, Michael Cunningham, and Will Self.