Aled Lewis Evans writes in both Welsh and English, and the pieces in this collection have all been adapted from the original Welsh, either by Martin Davis or by the author. The collection opens with a series of stories about sad and sorry characters - bored, ignored wife and mother of four, Sue, whose spirits and hair colour are temporarily lightened in response to the attentions of the local Casanova; homeless Harry, interminably snapping away with a camera that contains no film (we are pre-digital here); Gareth, the lonely radio presenter, wondering who will listen to him on Christmas day; and middle-aged Ruth throwing an attention-seeking tantrum that backfires on her. Is there anyone out there? Is anyone listening? Does anyone care? These are the questions that resound throughout, as Evans's characters convince themselves that they have either failed or been failed, and fall into the inevitable trap of anger and self-pity. Other stories and monologues address questions of language and roots from various angles. In 'The Gulf', Melys Parry, exiled in Wolverhampton and married to Dave the gas-man, visits the Eisteddfod in her hometown of Mold. In 'Just a Few Seconds', sisters Rhiannon and Naomi are estranged because of the cultural divide that has opened up between them. And in 'The Border', an elderly couple expresses their pride that their sons went to prison fighting for the Welsh language, and their bewilderment that those same sons now live in England. The back cover description of the short stories and monologues as 'driftwood from three decades of writing' is apt: an assortment of treasures and trivia, of curiosities to enjoy or pass by, of pieces that have dated with the passing of the years and others that are very much of the now. -- Suzy Ceulan Hughes @ www.gwales.com
