<p>This book, Slackers, is a collection of short stories, part of International Publisher''s ongoing Manuel Tiago series </p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>The title story, "The Slackers," deals humorously with a mixed bag of misfits who are forced to report to a military correctional camp to complete their obligatory service. As in several of his other works of fiction, Tiago, (¿lvaro Cunhal), based his tale on his own life. For a time, in </span>late 1939 and early 1940, Cunhal was forced to complete his<span></span>military service in a Disciplinary Company. </p><p> </p><p>"Hand in Hand" is a teenage love story set against the background of the post-1974 public flowering of the Communist Party as a significant partner in the democratic reconstruction of the country. In this story the author once again calls upon his own memories, having