Helen Oyeyemi's collection of nine stories takes the idea of keys as its link: a key of one kind or another, literal or metaphorical, appears in each one. In "Books and Roses," two girls and a library are connected by a hidden key. Another story features puppets, and others involve love, ownership, race and who has the right to a person or an object. Oyeyemi's mix of fairy-tale and modern settings gives the book an unsettling charm.
Readers who like short stories with a dash of the fantastic, and fans of Oyeyemi's novels, will find a puzzle-like collection that rewards careful reading.
Deep, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Literary Connoisseur. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2016
- Language
- EN
