Drama on the Soviet border, displacement, a runaway horse and a sleigh ride across virgin snow; much of A Life in Tales plays out against the changing landscape in Ukraine over recent decades. A young idealist marries the daughter of a Ukrainian refugee and is overawed as he sees the USSR for the first time and observes the post-Soviet changes before the schism with Moscow leads to the Russian invasion.

Ambush in the Namibian mountains and a double shooting in Ethiopia also feature as do readily identifiable stories of friendship and family tensions.

David Roberts employs vivid description, keen observational skill and wry humour to evoke key episodes and characters from his life. Though not always the chief protagonist, he is ever-present.

Love, loss, longing and belonging are the key themes of this collection of sensitive short stories that make up an evocative memoir.