Abwab El Shak

10 stories of lust, filial love, guilt, jealousy, trauma, artistic awakening, romantic complicity, drunken blarney and love beyond the grave.

Robert Dunning commits suicide after he is ruined financially by a crafty Wall Street broker. Marcia Dunning vows revenge for her husband's death, and becomes a roulette operator in a gambling house where the broker's son often visits. She uses a magnetized finger ring to cheat the son, who then robs his father and causes the man's financial ruin. When Marcia learns that her daughter has secretly married the broker's son, she appeals to the gambling house partners to return the young man's losses. One partner refuses; another partner, who is in love with Marcia, stakes his share of the business against the others and loses. Marcia stakes herself against the winning partners, is prevented from using her magnet ring, but wins everything nevertheless. Marcia returns the stolen funds for the sake of her daughter, and then marries the partner who loves her.

A modern parable looking at the relationship between Maori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, and the British colonisers. Set in a modern house, Hone invites his friend to stay when things go bad. He then finds his home taken over and his rights suddenly removed. How will he deal with this?

1919. Released from the teacher training college, Joachim Hofer takes up his first job as an assistant teacher in an Alsatian village. But only a few students come to class in the pigsty converted to school.