a gathering of friends

'Life has its ups and downs and periods of darkness, but now and then it springs a surprise, such as an encounter with an old friend, and makes us want to go on a little longer. I hope you, dear reader, will enjoy meeting or renewing your bond with this gathering of friends and relatives as much as I have enjoyed creating them. Along with my family, these are my favourite people. With luck (and this is every writer's dream) they will walk off the page and into your life."

-From the introduction by Ruskin Bond