If you have any interest in short stories or literary fiction at all, you MUST read this book! I devoured each story but then had to sit and digest it for hours or days afterwards. Every single story blew me away with Bowlin's style, writing chops, and depth of heart.

I lost track of how many times I literally laughed out loud and gasped. I wrote, "Oh fuck!" in the margins nine times. I literally screamed three times (thanks to the endings of "You Must Give of Yourself," "Embryology," and "The Echoless").

I was also captivated by the first and last sentence of every singe story. I won't spoil any of them, because holy hell, they are a TREAT. The weirdness and terror is tempered with tenderness, and each character feels precious even in all their ugliness and banality.

I'll be reading, studying, and gushing over this one over and over again for sure! ( )