The Caprices
The nine stories here are bound together geographically by events occurring in a rough triangle between Australia, the Philippines and the Marianas Islands during WWII. Connecting them all again is the theme of caprice, a “sudden change or series of changes hard to predict.” Only one story gives that name to the entire volume, but the fickleness of fate is present throughout the book. Rarely is the lighter side of capricious fate depicted here, and I found these dark, nearly relentlessly tragic stories rough going at times. However, the illustration of these events is also refreshingly diverse. Many of the stories’ underlying themes are built on the social interactions of these mingling groups: the Japanese, the Brits and the Indians, the Australians, the Yanks, the Filipinos and other island people. The author handles these with insight and experience. One story is a sort of “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” puzzle; another is a macabre tale of family revenge. One U.S. soldier is rescued by Filipinos, survives the war and reencounters his rescuers years later, another duo of Yanks are surprised their Japanese prisoner speaks English. The piece from the author’s memories of her Manila relatives has lighter moments, but it also illustrates why the author feels compelled to write these stories in this vein.
