THE DARKNESS OF PFC PETKOFF

Kozelka’s (The Krakow Messenger, 2008, etc.) book is a collection of 15 grim tales of conflict.

Some characters in these stories are living in the aftermath of a war, such as former POW Bill in “The Asano Contract.” Fifteen years after World War II, he goes on a business trip to Japan, where he had been a captive. He’s shocked to find that he enjoys the country as well as the company of his chief contact, Sakimoto. Other characters are currently engaged in conflict, such as Pfc. Alvin Petkoff in the closing title story. This outstanding but notably violent tale follows Petkoff, a Slavic American man who endures bullying in his youth and later becomes a WWII soldier. Other stories feature contests between man and beast (“The Octopus”) and between different beasts (“Killer”). Kozelka’s collection boasts diverse characters who respond to war in a variety of ways. For example, in “Snakeman,” a college professor’s treatment of women appears to stem from his cousin’s stories of sexual conquests while serving in Vietnam. Similarly, World War II provides an English schoolteacher with a means of escaping his lover’s relentless fantasies in “Goodbye Gift.” The author writes with a confident hand, and even prolonged passages feel efficient and economical. A long paragraph in “Cap’n,” for example, ably describes the waning hopes of soldiers on a lifeboat as they experience nausea and thirst. The stories often delve into dark terrain, addressing brutal deaths as well as racism, but Kozelka’s character studies never glorify any unsavory events or behavior. Most also have startling turns, such as “Real Writers,” about a bitterly envious author.

Potent, somber, and detailed short stories featuring vivid characters.