First published 2026
Flora returns home to Mexico when the family dog suddenly attacks her hand. The bite sends her to the hospital for multiple surgeries. During her recovery, she encounters Wilhelmina, an aging German patient battling pneumonia who owns a collection of early optical devices and pre-cinema contraptions. The two women begin surreal exchanges as they wander the hospital halls together. Wilhelmina performs a magic lantern presentation that captivates Flora completely. After an unforeseen development, Wilhelmina assigns Flora a crucial task. Flora travels back to London and returns to her work buffing silver at a jewelry store. She develops an unusual bond with Max, Wilhelmina's son. Flora slips between waking life and fantasy with growing frequency. She realizes the magic lantern is not the only thing creating projections around her, and her grasp on what is real begins to shift.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London, Mexico
Period: 21st-century
192 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Books