Wandering Heath

"Wandering Heath" by Arthur Quiller-Couch is a compilation of stories from the late 1800s that considers ideas of memory, friendships, and what it means to be human through folklore and striking character relationships. With everything from light-hearted stories to serious meditations, the collection paints a vibrant picture reflecting life in a seaside town. A poet and his wife begin the collection in a prologue on New Year’s Day, as they talk about their hopes and problems with creativity. The poet is annoyed that people don't like his work, but his partner motivates him to keep creating, saying that he's getting better all the time. This turns into a story about a shipwreck, where a quarryman whose father saw a troubled ship during a terrible storm retells the story, which includes themes of courage, sadness, and the supernatural. The story uses colorful descriptions of the ocean landscape, setting the stage for themes of grief and the relationships that develop from overcoming shared hardship.