First published 2013
Clyde and Magreb are vampires who have found refuge in a lemon grove, where they survive on the citrus rather than blood. Their ancient relationship faces new strains as they adapt to this strange diet and confront what their immortality means for their bond. Around them, other extraordinary transformations unfold. Girls imprisoned in a Japanese silk factory begin turning into silkworms and plan their escape. Boys discover a scarecrow that looks disturbingly like a classmate they once bullied. A pioneer family's search for land in the American frontier leads to devastating consequences. Each story explores characters caught between their human nature and something far stranger, as they navigate worlds where the impossible becomes terrifyingly real. Russell creates eight tales where ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances that force them to question everything they believed about themselves and their place in the world.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Japan, American Frontier
Period: 21st-century
243 pages · Hardcover · Knopf