Exquisitely observed and engagingly written. Swift at his finest.
Feature image credit: Simon & Schuster
On the 8th of May this year, we observe (‘celebrate’ being perhaps too glib a word) the 80th anniversary of VE Day: the day that the Second World War ended in Europe.
To honour that day, Simon & Schuster are releasing a book of short stories by one of the living masters of narrative fiction, Graham Swift.
Twelve Post-War Tales begins with the aftermath of said war in The Next Best Thing. It is 1959 and Private Caan, stationed in Germany, is visiting the local Rathaus (town hall) to seek information about his Jewish relatives, still missing since the end of the hostilities. This is a fitting story to begin the collection, not just because it starts essentially with VE Day, but also because it demonstrates that the effects of major world catastrophes do not fade within a short time. Here is Private Caan, 15 years after the final shot was fired, still searching for (probably dead) family members.
Not all the stories are related directly, or even indirectly, to war per se. Instead, each of these exquisite portraits explores the interplay between the quotidian and major events. Beauty tells the story of Tom visiting the university his granddaughter attended after an unspeakable tragedy, struggling internally with finding his campus guide attractive, whilst still grieving. In Zoo, a woman recalls her Filipino grandparents and ponders where they were when Pearl Harbour was attacked. Meanwhile she has to take her American employer’s child to London Zoo, on September 11, 2001.
Swift captures that sense of ‘where were you when …’ It revisits those moments in world events, whether catastrophic, such as war, or individually tragic, such as the killing of a beloved celebrity, that we all somehow remember vividly. It is often these sad events that bring us together as a species, sharing our humanity. And meanwhile, everyday life in its small charms and tediums carries on despite our belief that nothing will ever be the same.
Twelve Post-War Tales is Swift at his finest. He has an embroiderer’s sense of fine detail, and the broad-picture wisdom of a man-of-a-certain-age. Every one of these stories is a delight in its own right, yet they hold together as a holistic work.
The short story seems to be having something of a resurgence at the moment, and this beautiful, engaging, collection will surely help that along.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Simon & Schuster
Released: April 2025
RRP: $35.00
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