First published 2022
Agnes and her partner Geb live quietly together, sharing meals of mushrooms that sprout directly from Agnes's skin. Their peaceful routine breaks when an uninvited man arrives at their home. Elsewhere, Jane travels across a climate-damaged America with someone she almost loves, knowing their time together ends soon. Two young cousins dread the arrival of a new family member they believe might be something supernatural and dangerous. A queer woman grapples with disturbing revelations about a writer she once admired. An anthropologist gets pulled into a mystical wager that threatens her safety. These women and queer characters stand at turning points in their lives, navigating discovery and desire while myths and folklore shape their experiences. Their stories unfold against a backdrop of environmental crisis and personal transformation, where knowledge becomes both weapon and wound.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, fantasy, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, mythology
Setting: America
Period: 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company