The short stories collected in Strangers Are Like Children take their theme from the African proverb used in the title, and deal with the helplessness of outsiders adjusting to a new land. Drawing on 13 years experience as a journalist and writer in Africa, Nova Scotian Joan Baxter delves into the experiences of expatriates living in Africa and examines the warm and sometimes turbulent local cultures they live amongst. Her first book, Graveyard for Dreamers, received critical acclaim and was short-listed for the Evelyn Richardson Book Award.