<p><b>Named one of the must-read books of the summer by the&nbsp;<i>Chicago Tribune, O, The Oprah Magazine</i>,<i>&nbsp;BuzzFeed</i>,<i>The Huffington Post</i>, <i>Minneapolis Star-Tribune,</i>&nbsp;and&nbsp;</b><i><b>The L Magazine</b><br><br></i>Rebecca Makkai’s first two novels, <i>The Borrower</i> and <i>The Hundred-Year House</i>, have established her as one of the freshest and most imaginative voices in fiction. Now, the award-winning writer, whose stories have appeared in four consecutive editions of <i>The Best American Short Stories,</i> returns with a highly anticipated collection bearing her signature mix of intelligence, wit, and heart.<br><br>A reality show producer manipulates two contestants into falling in love, even as her own relationship falls apart. Just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a young boy has a revelation about his father’s past when a renowned Romanian violinist plays a concert in their home. When the prized elephant of a traveling circus keels over dead, the small-town minister tasked with burying its remains comes to question his own faith. In an unnamed country, a composer records the folk songs of two women from a village on the brink of destruction. <br><br>These transporting, deeply moving stories—some inspired by her own family history—amply demonstrate Makkai’s extraordinary range as a storyteller, and confirm her as a master of the short story form.&nbsp;<br><br><b>“Richly imagined.”<br>—<i>Chicago Tribune</i><br>&nbsp;<br>“Impressive.”<br>—<i>O, </i>The Oprah<i> </i>Magazine<br>&nbsp;<br>“Engrossing.”<br>—<i>Minneapolis Star-Tribune</i><br>&nbsp;<br>“Inventive.”<br>—<i>W </i>Magazine<br>&nbsp;</b></p><br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>