An arresting, vividly imaginative collection of stories, each capturing the complexity of intimacy and wounded inner worlds.

In "The Lyrebird's Bell," infatuation and violence grow between girls in the enchanting wilderness of post-war Australia, as they escape their families by spinning disturbed fantasies. The title story follows the passionate bond between two young men in the midst of the 1968 French student revolts, while they navigate - and at times resist - the philosophical and emotional nature of love. In "The Islanders," an orphaned boy and his estranged aunt are thrown suddenly together, on a quiet peninsula, at the height of the Irish Troubles - with their deeply rooted fear and anger attracting the attention of shape-shifting phantoms of war.

All five long-form stories are uncanny portraits of pained resilience, from a voice defined by its unique beauty, insight, and resonance.

A RARE MACHINES BOOK