Vampires in the Lemon Grove is a collection of eight short stories written by Karen Russell. Each story takes the reader to a different time and a different place. All are vivid and touched with magical realism, though Russell’s own writing borders on otherworldly – effortlessly drawing you into these fantastical, sometimes funny, stories.
- “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” features vampires seeking to slake their thirst on something other than blood.
- “Reeling for the Empire” is about captive girls made into silkworms.
- “The Seagull Army Descends on Strong Beach” is where a boy discovers these birds are hoarding stolen bits of the future.
- “Proving Up” is a ghostly tale set during the homesteading period of U.S. history.
- “The Barn at the End of Our Term” is my favorite (perhaps due to my fondness for U.S. presidential history). A funny speculation about what happened to some of these presidents after they died.
- “Dougbert Shackleton’s Rules for Antarctic Tailgating” is a no-nonsense primer for hard core fans of Team Krill who trek to the bottom of the world for the annual competition.
- “The New Veterans” is about a massage therapist whose patient has an unusual tattoo that changes beneath her hands.
- “The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis” is about a group of bullies who discover a scarecrow that has an unsettling likeness to that of their victim.
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