Alvydas ŠlepikasIn the Shadow of Wolves

Abstract

pain and keeping it a secret. Though the pace has quickened here, these scenes establish an important pattern: pain has always been her most intimate partner. On the surface, this is an oppressive book with an underdeveloped plot, but Havelin has successfully illustrated the ways in which pain controls everything that matters . Lives are misshapen, relationships are stunted, thoughts are dominated, and longterm medical advice is reduced to a leaflet. Pain is a lonely place. At one point, Laura asks herself, “Is it even possible for people to accompany each other to the darkest places?” For those who want to understand pain’s physical and emotional toll, and for those isolated by their own pain, this book may provide the answer. Mary E. Adams University of Louisiana Monroe Alvydas Šlepikas In the Shadow of Wolves Trans. Romas Kinka. London. Oneworld. 2019. 197 pages. Thanks to Oneworld, readers of English now have the opportunity to experience the widely successful first novel of the Lithuanian actor, director, and poet Alvydas Šlepikas. In the midst of a resurgence of World War II novels, Šlepikas captures a tragic and previously unexplored element of the conflict, circumventing expectations and nullifying any desensitization that an avid reader of historical fiction may have developed. In the Shadow of Wolves takes place near the end of the war. The Russians are advancing westward and have occupied the German province of East Prussia. Families are removed from their homes to make room for the occupiers and are left to shelter in underpasses, alleyways, and crude constructs of tin or even cardboard. Life on the street is not only dangerous, but as they become increasingly desperate, the starving families are left with no choice but to send any children who are physically able to make the journey to the Lithuanian countryside in search of sustenance. The plight of one small group of these children is the subject of the novel. They risk crossing a heavily guarded border and navigating thick forests in order to scavenge a land of dwindling resources, vicious guard dogs, and war-weary, rifle-wielding civilians . Episodes are presented through stark, sensory details that leave the reader with nowhere to escape. Nationalities and politics become nonissues in a depiction of pure humanity where the division falls not between ideologies but between oppressor and victim. Beautiful and haunting, In the Shadow of Wolves is a mustread for those with a historical interest in World War II but is even more relevant as an exposition of the true casualties of any political turmoil: the helpless “collateral damage” members of a society. It is especially poignant in a twenty-first-century world where fleeing carnage and seeking refuge is so often deemed criminal activity. Šlepikas has shown his skill in conveying universal truth in a transcultural world. The literary community can only wait in anticipation of his next offering. Joy Walsh Butler County Community College Nota Bene STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: World Literature Today 2. Publication Number: 060-680 3. Filing Date: October 1, 2019 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: Four 6. Annual Subscription Price: $30 US, $40 Canada, $60 Elsewhere, $135 US Institution, $205 International Institution 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: World Literature Today / University of Oklahoma / 630 Parrington Oval, Suite 110 / Norman, OK 73019-4033 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters of General Business Office of Publisher: Same as above. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of: Publisher: Robert Con Davis-Undiano. Assistant Director & Editor in Chief: Daniel Simon / World Literature Today / University of Oklahoma / 630 Parrington Oval, Suite 110 / Norman, OK 73019-4033 10. Owner: University of Oklahoma Board of Regents / 119 Evans Hall / Norman, OK 73019-3074 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders: None 12. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income-tax purposes have not changed during the preceding twelve months. 13. Publication Title: World Literature Today 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: October 2019 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: 2850 1540 850 2390 100 10 110 2500 350 2850 95.6% Actual no. copies of single...