Community Reviews
A collection of eight eerily poignant short stories written by Karen Russell, who tells extraordinary tales with just the right amount of fantasy-horror without breaking the boundaries of magical realism. Reeling for the Empire, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, and The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis made for fantastic quick reads and each one possessed a mournfulness that is hard to capture. I particularly enjoyed Reeling for the Empire, which tells the tale of a group of young women working in a silk factory in Japan who are slowly turning into silkworms. And while I usually cannot abide stories of vampires, Vampires in the Lemon Grove evoked a sad humour with it's tale of a vampiric couple whose hundred-year marriage is tested when one of them develops a fear of flying. I would absolutely recommend reading Vampires in the Lemon Grove.
