First published 1994
A boy studies under a country sorcerer, mastering spells and incantations in the rural landscape of America. His mentor teaches him the ancient arts, but the apprentice discovers that wielding magical power differs vastly from possessing true inner strength. Meanwhile, in Illinois, a farmer takes a young slave under his wing, passing on everything he has learned through years of hard labor and survival. The farmer's lessons prove dangerous, leading to deadly results that neither teacher nor student anticipated. Johnson crafts eight stories where ordinary people encounter extraordinary circumstances. Characters face moments that transform them completely, shifting between the world as it appears and the hidden forces that shape it. A metamorphosis waits in each tale, revealing how quickly a life can change direction. The stories examine what happens when people gain knowledge they cannot handle, when power corrupts those who seek it, and when the line between reality and magic disappears entirely.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mentor-apprentice, ordinary-people-extraordinary-circumstances
Setting: America, Illinois
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
192 pages · Paperback · Plume