Some flowers of the war

The writer's grandfather gives him an envelope containing a bundle of papers and photos and a large notebook, which contains letters and papers related to "John," the grandfather's brother who was killed during World War II in Syria, without asking him for anything specific regarding those papers. This leads the writer on a long personal journey to explore history, imagination, and inherited memory across generations, and to subtly shift from a biography to the story of the journey from letters and diaries to official records, from text to visual image. A re-reading of the history of World War II and humanity that destroys itself, and his attempts to visit the grave of "John," which is also located in the devastated Syrian war zone. Lewis, in his first prose works, reveals a great and remarkable literary talent in detailing even the smallest details. This young writer, deeply rooted in his Welsh identity, defines his family’s experience and history within the broader European world in a unique and engaging book, with a narration of extraordinary fluidity.