Praise for Wandering Souls
“Caputo brilliantly examines the lingering moral and psychological costs of conflict, in which memory functions as both wound and tether. A searing yet deeply compassionate story collection that explores the fragile borders between survival, guilt, and redemption.”—Booklist, starred review
“When Phil Caputo writes, I read. From 2007 to 2023, while researching my latest book on the American War in Vietnam, I had separate copies of Phil’s A Rumor of War in both my homes in Vietnam and Connecticut. I honestly cannot remember how many times I read that classic and Phil’s subsequent page-turners. I have traveled through Phil’s masterful books from Hanoi to Key West, from Saigon to Alaska and marveled at his refined skill at introducing me to new people and places. I recently again journeyed to compelling new worlds with Phil’s elegant new gem, Wandering Souls.”—James Bradley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Flags of our Fathers and Precious Freedom
“A resonant story collection in which characters seek connection and atonement under extreme circumstances . . . fans will be thrilled to find that his powers remain undiminished.”—Publishers Weekly
Description
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Caputo returns to the heart of the human condition with Wandering Souls, a collection of powerful stories that explore war, love, nature, life, and death.
In the gripping title story, a Vietnam vet revisits the war-torn landscape of his past, searching for the grave of a forgotten soldier—only to uncover far more than he bargained for. In another tale, a wildlife photographer in the African savanna risks everything for a chance at true love. A thief escaping Central America finds himself aboard a ship, only to be thrust into the peril of an approaching storm. These and other stories in Wandering Souls are told with the authenticity and keen insight that have made Caputo’s writing unforgettable, offering emotionally intense and richly atmospheric narratives.
With his distinctive style, Caputo delves into the complex relationship between man and memory—sometimes haunting, sometimes redemptive—capturing moments of profound emotional reckoning that compel his characters to confront their pasts and the indelible marks left by the places that shaped them. In Wandering Souls, the past is never truly gone; it is a force that defines us, for better or worse.