by Aimee Bender
First published 2013
In Aimee Bender's "The Color Master," a girl with golden wheat hair appears in an apple orchard, drawing a crowd of onlookers. A woman explores a prostitution fantasy with her husband, only to find her old life forever changed. An ugly woman marries an ogre, then grapples with staying after he devours their children. Across Malaysia, a sister learns the art of mending shredded tigers. These poignant stories illuminate the search for meaning amid life's painful realities.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: anthology, magical-realism
Setting: Malaysia
321 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Press