Here Until August (2019), Josephine Rowe's stunning collection of short stories, has been Longlisted for the Stella Prize. Over ten diverse tales, Rowe transports the reader around the globe to the Nullarbor, Montreal, the Snowy Mountains, the Catskills, and beyond. In these far flung locales, we meet characters at crossroads, trying to navigate the circumstances they find themselves in.
Relationships are central in all of these stories. 'Glisk' centres on two brothers who communicate in quotes from The Castle as they come to terms with their changing relationship. In 'Chavez' a French woman cares for a neighbour's dog as she hides from the world. A married couple have differing views on an ancient homemade sex tape in 'Post-Structuralism for Beginners'. 'Real Life', about a mis-matched couple in Montreal, reminded me of my university days, visiting friends studying at McGill and Concordia, with Rowe perfectly capturing student life and winter in Montreal.
Journeys feature in a number of stories. Two women set off on a honeymoon road trip across America in 'Anything Remarkable', not saying what needs to be said. In 'Horse Latitudes' two friends travel across the Nullarbor with an old Cardinal 'canned ham' trailer. While in 'A Small Cleared Space' a woman grieving the late-term loss of her unborn child travels to a remote outpost to spend a winter in isolation.
If I had to choose a favourite, it would likely be 'Sinkers', which takes place in a town flooded by a lake to make way for a hydroelectric dam. Christian returns to the lake to remember his late mother with a biscuit tin containing her ashes.
Rowe has an incredible eye for detail, capturing the nuances of time and place. Her language is precise and purposeful. She is an extraordinary talent and I am keen to seek out her novel A Loving, Faithful Animal which was longlisted for the 2017 Miles Franklin Award.