Passing Through

Passing Through brings together the vibrant fiction and intimate life writing of Alice B. Galea (1912–1990), a gifted storyteller whose work spans continents and decades. Edited and introduced by Rob Cover, this collection showcases Galea’s rich evocations of place, character, and history.

The first part presents Galea’s Vultura stories, set on a fictional Mediterranean island inspired by her years in Malta. Blending myth, drama, and intrigue, these interconnected tales capture the rhythms of community life, the tensions of change, and the way chance encounters shape destinies.

The second part offers two rare, unpublished works: Louise, an epic multi-generational narrative spanning the two world wars, and an essay on Shakespeare’s “missing years” that intertwines literary analysis with Galea’s deep knowledge of Italy.

The final section draws from her memoirs, letters, wartime journalism, and diaries, revealing a cosmopolitan life lived across New York, Oxford, Malta, Malaysia, and Australia. Together, these writings illuminate Galea’s enduring fascination with how people “pass through” places and are, in turn, shaped by them.

With themes of belonging, history, and cultural encounter, Passing Through is a testament to the power of storytelling to bridge time, geography, and human experience.