First published 2018
A girl turns to music when her father dies, finding solace in melodies that fill the silence he left behind. Elsewhere, a drug dealer welcomes his fall from grace, embracing each step toward damnation as society crumbles around him. A clown rises to control a world that has become a twisted carnival, where normal rules no longer apply. A young bride navigates her constrained world like a character from an old fairy tale, trapped by circumstances beyond her choosing. These characters inhabit Jessica Shattuck's collection of seven stories, each wrestling with forces that threaten to crush or transform them. Some discover that love requires giving up what they treasure most. Others learn that death can unlock the freedom life denied them. The most desperate find unexpected strength when everything familiar disappears, leaving only their will to endure.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, transformation
122 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: death