The marriage of Mr and Mrs Manilla has broken down. Joe Manilla walks out on his young wife, Sylvia. Sylvia walks out on their baby. A disturbing and hard-edged portrait of a contemporary crisis and a confronting exploration of men's and women's lives. Kathleen Stewart brings us into a world that is shocking, with a gaze that is unflinching yet compassionate.' (Publisher's blurb, back cover).