Margaret Atwood introduces the reader to two characters she met when she and her partner lived in Provence in her semi-autobiographical short story, Two Scorched Men. John is a curmudgeonly Englishman who seems to have nothing good to say about pretty much anything and Francois is an easy-going Frenchman. Despite their personality differences, these two men have been fast friends for decades. The story is told from the perspective of the narrator and tells of her own friendship with these two men, a friendship even she at times finds odd and even sometimes burdensome, but one that will stay with her long after she has left Provence

Normally I’m not a fan of short stories - it takes an exceptional writer to bring a story to life in such a short space, But, then, Margaret Atwood is one of the best living story tellers and this tale is just one example of why. She takes a small, mostly seemingly uneventful moment from her own life and, in a very few pages, brings two very different characters to life in a way that makes the reader feel they know them or at least would like to.

Thanks to Netgalley & Scribd for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )