J. M. Barrie

Echoes Of The War J. M. Barrie

Four short stories about families touched by World War I are included in this book. Each of the stories takes place within a single scenario, and they are all so well written. These really do seem to be miniature works of art. The first one involved an elderly woman who is alone and "adopts" a man who is going to go to war on impulse. The second concerns a father's connection with his son who is joining the military as an officer. In the third tale, a dementia-stricken old man tries to make sense of the changes taking place all around him. The final story concerns a father and son who are attempting to move on after the son's passing. The interactions between fathers and sons are a fascinating motif in these tales. The society in which this piece was created did not value father-son relationships. Wonderfully poignant little book from 1918 that tells four stories about common households during the Great War.