THE PEGNITZ JUNCTION Mavis Gallant. Toronto, Gage Publishing, c1963, 1982. 193pp, paper, $7.95. ISBN 0-7715-9709-6. Grades 12 and up. Reviewed by Joan Kerrigan. Volume 10 Number 4. 1982 November. Originally published in 1973, The Pegnitz Junction contains a novella and five short stories. The underlying theme is the experiences of Germans shortly after World War II. The Pegnitz Junction is the novella in which a number of characters drift in and out of the story during a train ride to the Pegnitz Junction. At this place there is "an infinity of tracks meeting, merging, and sliding away"—just as the characters themselves do. It is a clever stylistic technique, worthy of Mavis Gallant's talent. The short stories are also excellent, but the overwhelming mood is one of near despair, inevitable for a country that has endured the agony of war and defeat. Macmillan is to be congratulated for the re-issue of this fine collection and also Fiction for the dramatic cover for a worthy addition to the Laurentian Library series. Recommended. Joan Kerrigan, Toronto, Board of Education, Toronto, ON.