Dream-like tales from across Asia
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"A Bridge of Dreams" is a collection of 14 short stories by a "young" writer with a name unlikely to be forgotten: Ezra Kyrill Erker.
Born in Germany and educated in the US, Ezra has spent most of his life in Asia-Pacific, notably in Japan. Now living in Thailand, he works as a journalist at the Bangkok Post.
This book, published last year by Orchard Press, shows his ability as a fiction writer. It’s a collection set in countries throughout Asia. They cover diverse characters in a range of situations – some fascinating, some awkward, many thought-provoking.
One tale is about a British fugitive caught in a curious relationship with a sex worker in Cambodia, battling against illness, poverty, his flimsy grasp on reality, yet drawn and entangled in the peculiar pull of their circumstances.
Another is about a new psychologist who begins work at a Japanese clinic where a series of women residents have died under mysterious circumstances, whose bid to engage with patients stirs up problems among some of the residents and his boss.
A third tells the passage of a young Filipino man, the grandson of a traditional faith healer, who leaves his rural village in northern Luzon and finds his way to a new life in Manila.
A fourth is the tale of young tourists at a guest house in northern Thailand, who decide on a drunken whim to explore a famous cave a local friend and guide has told them about.
All these tales explore aspects of the local scene and culture, and are woven with a web of intrigue, or mystery and deeper delving into the human psyche. Some are like myths; others faithful to everyday life. The characters journey along paths that lead to places unknown, endings unfold as the telling goes on.
Many of these stories were highly enjoyable. They are also easy to read, given the tales are short and you can put this book – just 200 pages – down and pick it up again when convenient. It’s light and a good read for tourists, or as a gift for friends who’ve travelled to various parts of Asia.
A Bridge of Dreams
>>By Ezra Kyrill Erker
>>Published by Orchid Press
>>Available at Amazon.com
