Here and Hereafter

"Here and Hereafter" by Barry Pain is an anthology of short stories from the early 1900s, starting with the short story titled, "Mala" that tells the story of a doctor who meets Tarn, a man desperately searching for a doctor to help his wife, a black woman, as she gives birth. The doctor travels away from town with Tarn to a remote home where Tarn and his wife Mala live, and along the way, the doctor learns more about the couple, their unconventional life, and begins to develops feelings about their strange, isolated situation. The story explores race, societal roles, and the complicated feelings people have about life, death, identity, and love. The story is suspenseful as the story unfolds to explore deeper the characters and their feelings.