Refuge: Stories of War (and Love)
Paperback
Buy the book
07 August 2025Imprint: Footnote Press
Synopsis
'Superb. An incandescent, charged and propulsive work. I inhaled this collection. It's a testament to Sunny Singh's considerable talents as a writer' Irenosen Okojie
Nur and Abid relearn to love after they escape from war. Marie, who keeps the women of the village from giving birth to children borne of war, finds herself in a situation she hasn't faced before. In a London park, an ageing MI-6 official discovers that the woman he meets every day may not be what she seems. Lyndsey's bouquets of twenty-seven tulips hold the secret of her dark past and a soldier adorns herself in jewels as she prepares for a final mission.
Spanning both decades and continents, Refuge turns its lens on those who are often overlooked in stories about war: women and children, civilians forced out of their homes in terror, those who wait for their brave soldiers to come home, and soldiers who commit unspeakable violence. this powerful collection simultaneously delves into the darkest parts of the human psyche whilst being an ode to humanity's ability to endure, love and retain dignity and compassion.
Nur and Abid relearn to love after they escape from war. Marie, who keeps the women of the village from giving birth to children borne of war, finds herself in a situation she hasn't faced before. In a London park, an ageing MI-6 official discovers that the woman he meets every day may not be what she seems. Lyndsey's bouquets of twenty-seven tulips hold the secret of her dark past and a soldier adorns herself in jewels as she prepares for a final mission.
Spanning both decades and continents, Refuge turns its lens on those who are often overlooked in stories about war: women and children, civilians forced out of their homes in terror, those who wait for their brave soldiers to come home, and soldiers who commit unspeakable violence. this powerful collection simultaneously delves into the darkest parts of the human psyche whilst being an ode to humanity's ability to endure, love and retain dignity and compassion.
Details
07 August 2025
9781804442302Imprint: Footnote Press
Reviews
These stories reveal the many sides of war, drawing attention to its unrelenting toll, while also illuminating a quiet dignity that persists in moments of compassion and resilience. An essential collection that reminds us of an enduring hope in our humanity.
Superb. An incandescent, charged and propulsive work. I inhaled this collection. It's a testament to Sunny Singh's considerable talents as a writer
In terrible times, our storytellers need to be tender and steely; Singh is this kind of writer, a necessary interlocutor between evil and possibility. We must read stories just like this in these times: small, beautiful, tough ways to remember love despite the wickedness. Sunny Singh shows us awful and beautiful realities with an uncompromisingly steely eye: there are terrible things here, necessary truths and unremitting heart.
In every story here Sunny Singh crafts a distinctive woman's voice, an unforgettable atmosphere, revealing wars' myriad rhythms, unpredictable turns. Reading these remarkable stories reminds me to stay ready to be surprised when trying to grasp how any girl, any woman, anywhere makes sense of her own war.
