Book Review: Returning to Carthage by Ben Sharafski

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Returning to Carthage by Ben Sharafski is a collection of interconnected short stories featuring the same protagonist (and narrator, in this case),  a man who though originally from Israel is now settled in Australia with his family.  We also meet Naoko, his wife who is Japanese and his two children – his daughter, Sophie and his son, Daniel. Though not in perfect chronological order, these stories are set during different stages and social situations of the man’s life and we are given a window into his thoughts, perceptions and reactions towards the people and events described.

In the first story ‘Love and Loss in Laos,’ the protagonist reflects on his own deception and infidelity all the while being critical of swindlers who are out to take advantage of tourists like himself in Laos. In 'Returning to Carthage’, we see the narrator’s fascination with an ancient Carthaginian coin he purchases over the internet. While he ponders over the tumultuous history of the ancient city Carthage he is also plagued by worries about the safety of his wife and child during their upcoming trip to Israel on account of the volatile political scenario in the region. In ‘On Childcare and the Human Condition’ the narrator, now a parent attempts to answer questions about life and death posed by his young inquisitive daughter. ‘Annabelle’ is a cryptic look at relationships and the struggle between compromise and temptation.

Among the six stories in this collection, one of my favorites was ‘Two Lives, Intersected’ that take us back to the family history of the narrator and that of his wife’. We meet the narrator’s grandfather and  Naoko’s grandmother, who though hailing from different parts of the world, remains impacted by the trauma of their younger lives brought upon by war, abandonment and the struggle to survive and how seemingly innocent words triggers and brings back a flood of memories and feelings that one cannot escape.  ‘Waiting’, the final story in the collection was particularly heart-wrenching with the narrator traveling to Israel to be with his mother, during her final days. The narrator watches helplessly as his mother gradually succumbs to cancer. He can do nothing for her but arrange for palliative care and wait for the inevitable. He is unable to express his emotions for his mother while witnessing members of his family and friends whose gestures of affection towards his mother seem to come so easily to them.

The narrative is enriched by the protagonist’s references to his travels spanning continents (Laos, the Philippines, India and of course, his country of origin, Israel and his adopted country, Australia) and how those places and events have left a mark on his psyche and perceptions towards, love , life and relationships. The stories touch upon themes of love and fidelity, mortality, family history and trauma and its impact across generations and continents, parenting and responsibility towards the ones who depend on us. While I won’t say that I loved all the stories equally (short story collections are always a mixed bag!), I have to admit that the narrative did hold my attention till the very end. The emotions and reactions described in these stories are real and relatable and the simple elegance of the prose renders this a thought-provoking and engaging read.

Thanks to the author for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.