Open Wounds

Unflinching Australian Short Stories

Abuse. Exile. War. Faith. Silence.

In this concentrated collection of five quietly devastating stories, S.C. Farrow turns her unflinching gaze toward the private fractures that shape ordinary lives.

A teenage girl searches for love in the aftermath of assault. A migrant woman discovers that escape does not guarantee freedom. A war veteran’s family begins to fracture under the weight of moral injury. An eleven-year-old learns that authority can wound as deeply as neglect. In a historical tale shadowed by the gallows, faith falters in the face of injustice.

Spanning contemporary Australia and one haunting historical setting, these stories examine trauma not as spectacle, but as consequence. Each narrative is crafted with precision and emotional restraint, inviting the reader to sit with discomfort rather than look away.

Open Wounds is a literary short story collection about silence, survival, and the quiet reckonings that shape a life.

• Format: short stories

• Genre: contemporary/trauma fiction

• Themes: trauma, displacement, institutional neglect, silence, survival

• Content note: This collection contains references to violence, sexual assault, war-related trauma, imprisonment, and execution by hanging

• ISBN Paperback: 978-0-6454801-7-7

• ISBN Ebook: 978-0-6454801-6-0

• Pages: 94

• Publisher: The Pynk Sphynx

FAQ

Is this a linked collection?
No. The five stories are independent of one another, spanning different lives, settings, and time periods.

What kind of tone can I expect?
The stories are quietly devastating and emotionally restrained, focusing on consequence rather than spectacle.

Are the themes similar to your novels?
Yes. Open Wounds explores trauma, silence, displacement, institutional neglect, and moral reckoning through the short story form.

Is this collection confronting?
Yes. The stories deal with abuse, war, injustice, and emotional harm. They are serious literary pieces intended for mature readers.