Read by Kimie Tsukakoshi

With an unforgettable voice and exuberant wit, She Is Haunted is a masterful debut exploring issues of identity, connection, and loss, told with remarkable grace and assurance by Chinese-American-Australian author Paige Clark.In stories charged by the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, grief, exes, and the profundities of friendship, She Is Haunted features injured ballerinas, cloned dogs, and competitive call centers in settings as far ranging as future and present Australia, New York City's Chinatown, and suburban California.A mother cuts her daughter's hair because her own hair begins falling out; a woman attempts to physically transform into her dead husband so that she does not have to grieve; a woman undergoes brain surgery in order to live more comfortably in extreme temperatures.Braiding the real and the surreal, both playfully witty and deeply insightful, these stories show us characters striving to make sense of the grand themes of family, love, death, and our changing world. She Is Haunted flags Paige Clark as a wondrous and wise new literary talent. "Many Elizabeths appear in Paige Clark's collection. They are zany, tender, slyly wise, and always enchanting…They haunt me, in the best possible way." "This book is a true original, with skilled, delicate power and an unforgettable mix of raw humor, fantastical digressions, and melancholy insight…This is one of the most enjoyable, memorable Australian books of this year." "Steeped in longing, the stories of She Is Haunted celebrate the messy strength of women." "Clark's exceptional debut collection cuts right to the emotional core of its characters…With a striking style, Clark consistently hits her mark, sticking each landing with breathtaking poignancy." "Her explorations of grief, loss, and identity are deeply moving."

Mode of access: World Wide Web