Fiction. In this striking debut, of vivid characters and piercing situations, nothing is too insignificant for Pursell's imagination—a wren on a branch, a hole in a sock, ginger tea—and nothing too dangerous—a girl hit by a stone, a mother and daughter struggling, a lip plump with blood. Intense insights are captured in superb concentrations of prose, with lyricism and flashes of brilliant detail applied to the small wonders of the world. In a matter of a few words, a few lines resonant as in the way of music, Pursell transports us. This dazzling collection of narratives, with its precise beauty and unsparing wisdom, is a fiercely sacred book, immense in its gifts, with a long, shimmering after-effect. SHOW HER A FLOWER, A BIRD, A SHADOW has received praise from Margot Livesey, Joan Silber, Peter Orner, Glen David Gold, Antonya Nelson, Melissa Pritchard, Tom Barbash, and Molly Giles. Second edition.
