Far-Away Stories

Far-Away Stories gathers William J. Locke's short fiction into a sequence of tales shaped by music, longing, sacrifice, and the stubborn human need for love. The opening "The Song of Life" introduces Angelo Fardetti, an aging musician in Peckham whose shabby dignity hides a lifetime of artistic yearning, private sorrow, and an unfinished sonata he believes might contain the whole rhythm of existence. He finds new purpose in teaching Geoffrey Chase, a gifted young composer whose success will ultimately reveal the quiet power of Angelo's influence. As Geoffrey's career rises and love blooms with Sonia, the collection widens into portraits of devotion tested by time. In the story of Winifred Goode and the formidable Roger Orme, years of loyal service and unspoken feeling lead to a late confession that transforms apparent rejection into sacrifice. Another tale, "A Lover's Dilemma," turns to a wounded, blind narrator recovering under Dr. Deane's care, where the calm presence of Miss Deane brings tenderness, uncertainty, and the first stirrings of romance. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.