In his sensitive prose miniatures, José Saramago paints striking images of life in the Portuguese countryside, to which he continually returns even after moving to Lisbon. He tells stories of frail piglets allowed to sleep in the marital bed at night, of scraped knees, slingshots, or the hunt for frogs, as well as tales of a beloved grandfather, how he taught himself to write, and became the top student in school. Interwoven with these personal experiences are poetic reflections and musings about God and the world, which elevate these small memories into a magnificent read.