Border Lines: Short Stories — John Walsh

Border Lines introduces us to a cast of characters who are vivid, yet understated. It is this polarity that makes them all the more compelling. Most notable is Ian, the link throughout the collection, often in discordance with himself and the world around him. From his early years, Ian struggles with issues of self-doubt and disappointment, though ultimately his quest for self-discovery moves him forward on a path to understanding and personal growth.

In Jimi, a teenage Ian is thunderstruck meeting his hero Jimi Hendrix, a pivotal event later overshadowed by an outburst of his father's uncontrollable violence.

Set in Derry during the Troubles, Border Lines is about a man frustrated by his role as ‘the messenger boy' between two friends. ‘Take a risk, Stephen,' Lyn urges.

Beautiful Day is a gorgeously written cameo of a first-ever fishing trip. It is a perfect day, a perfect memory to hold onto until it is eclipsed by tragedy.

In the haunting New Year's Day, a drunken Ian is shepherded through the night by a reluctant hero, a young traveller, himself on the run from a father's violence. The trust built up between them on their journey erodes as fear creeps in.

Sand finds Ian and his wife trying to repair their damaged relationship. When
he stands still in his sinking world, Ian ‘can feel the sand under my feet'.

The intriguing yet desperate Denise takes Ian on a wild adventure through the streets of Galway, the setting for This Could be Heaven. What or whom are they looking for? He doesn't know.

Set in Ireland, Greece, Germany and Spain, the interconnected stories in Border Lines are multi-layered and rich. The writing is poetic, incisive and at times subdued, lending itself well to the universal themes of this odyssey.