First published 2012
This anthology gathers voices from across Europe, spanning from Slovakia's examination of life before political upheaval to Iceland's quiet music shop encounters. A.S. Byatt represents England with a story about dolls' eyes, while Armenia contributes a tale of names held beneath tongues. Writers from Montenegro explore faces, Georgia examines wolf sins, and Belgium delivers grand cold. Russia offers a final summer in Marienbad, Moldova presents orchestra rehearsals, and Ireland provides music lodged in bones. Finland questions creation itself, Hungary frames mothers in American contexts, and Turkey cultivates memory in salons. Portugal finds angels inside, Latvia asks about earnestness, and Ukraine pairs sacred cows with personal identity. Spain delivers mercury and thermometers alongside Basque murderers, Bosnia offers hearts, and Austria presents protagonist nemeses. France provides guesthouse stories, Lithuania sees through maple eyes, and Bulgaria creates ragiad tales. Estonia births surrealist daughters, Poland places responsibility on individuals, and Liechtenstein monologues discontent. Serbia serves foreign masters, Slovenia spreads tablecloths, and Denmark pairs girls with horses. Romania schedules wives, Switzerland examines sons, Wales follows migration, and Norway combines thunder snow with dollar memories. These stories capture contemporary European experience across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Genres: short-stories, anthologies, european-literature, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Wales
Period: Contemporary
463 pages · Paperback · Dalkey Archive Press