The Return

Set in rural Victoria in the 1960s, Silvia Kwon’s debut novel, The Return, looks at small-town Australia, post-World War II. Paul has been working and living in Japan away from his family. Back home, his mother, Merna, pines for his return and his dad, Frank, a war veteran, was against him ever going and can’t wait for Paul to leave Japan behind him. Eventually, Paul does return to visit, but he’s brought a Japanese woman home with him.

While Merna tries her best to be accepting, Frank, still very much tormented by the war, sees Paul’s actions as a kind of betrayal, and a similar resentment is felt among a number of the townsfolk.

In town, the young couple face discrimination and things at home aren’t much better. Frank refuses to address matters with his son, and basically ignores the woman he’s brought with him. Paul, too, shows an extreme lack of compassion towards his father, completely underestimating the lasting effects the war has had. Merna tells the story from her point of view, as she tries to mediate between the two men. Though there is charm to her character’s compassion, her thoughts are, at times, over articulated and slow the pace of the story.

There are tender moments throughout the book; Kwon nicely handles intimacies between the young couple and between Merna and her son. In spite of Merna’s drawn-out observations, Kwon’s storyline is strong, and the ending is satisfying.

Ella Mittas is a freelance reviewer.