Here is a collection of short stories that spans the globe but also finds time to examine the quiet shifts in an individual’s sense of self. In Trespassing and Other Stories, Valerie Miner touches on the lives and histories of many people in different parts of the world, yet links them with her careful perceptions and empathies.      Two women visiting a weekend cottage defend their property from intruders but find their own sexual identity violated. A Chinese woman spins silk and elongates the thread of life and immunity. A child learns to swim and also some powerful lessons about adulthood. An Arab boy seeks his father among visiting U.S. tourists. A London widow has her life and her memories stirred by a young visitor.      Valerie Miner skillfully employs trespassing as a theme and metaphor, following her characters across borders of generation, politics, sexuality, morality, national identity—always asking provocative questions and raising intriguing contradictions. Whether writing about Africa, Europe, North America, or Asia, about rape, work, colonialism, or childhood, she brings her own passionate sensibility to bear. Miner writes with strength and wit, and evokes a range of voices that will delight both fans and new readers alike.