Karen Russell's debut collection gathers stories that blend the fantastical with the ordinary. In the title story, a pack of girls raised by wolves is sent to a convent school run by nuns to learn human ways, and one of them struggles with the process of becoming civilized. Other stories feature a boy who finds the ghost of a president and a group of children in a seagull-haunted place. Russell writes about the Florida swamps and adolescence with inventive images and dark humour.
Readers of magical-realist short fiction, fans of George Saunders and anyone who likes stories that mix humour with sorrow will find plenty to enjoy. It's a good collection to dip into.
Deep, inward-looking, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2005
- Language
- EN
