Bernice is a collector-of items rescued from her thrift shop and memories of a husband who abandoned her years ago-until one day she decides to take her sister's advice and downsize. "The Queen of Cans and Jars" is part of Michael Christie's critically acclaimed short-story collection, The Beggar's Garden. The Beggar's Garden follows a diverse group of characters, from a bank manager to a drug addict to a retired Samaritan, a web designer, and a car thief, as they drift through each other's lives in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
