Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: Ox-Tales

By Sandy Amazeen Feb 23, 2010, 3:18 GMT

Features stories by Esther Freud, David Park, Heri Kunzru, Zoë Heller, Michel Faber, William Boyd, Joanna Trollope, Giles Foden, Michael Morpurgo, and a poem by Vikram Seth. ...more

Ox-Tales is a series of four books of short stories, each loosely themed as Water, Fire, Earth and Air with proceeds going to support the charitable works of Oxfam.
British and Irish authors donated new or work in progress to Oxfam’s worthy cause with the result being a set of diverse and surprisingly strong anthologies. Although a few of the authors chose to write something pertaining to either the theme or the cause, most went off in their own direction with refreshing results.

Changing climate, economic realities and family ties bind the collections as evidenced by stories like “What She Did on Her Summer Vacation” by Zoë Heller or Esther Freud’s “Rice Cakes and Starbucks.” With collections of this caliber, it is easy to see why short stories have been enjoying a recent revival and knowing you are supporting the good work of Oxfam doesn’t hurt. For those unfamiliar with Oxfam, be certain to check out their website at oxfam.org.uk/emergencies