sunyata's whores

Marked by flashes of the gothic and surreal, each story in sunyata's whores follows a woman either confronting a terror, taboo or truth, that makes her question what kind of woman she is at all. Selfish, poor or just too honest, these women are both brave and unlikeable, relatable and unhinged. A young woman decides she would rather not feel empathy for a little bit so she can finally enjoy a party, while another realizes that the role of evil stepmother may await her. When abortion becomes illegal, one woman turns to a spirit for help, while another is possessed at the very moment one of her colleagues tries to take advantage of her. A wife finds a certain sexual delight in demons and deities that she can't find in her husband, while another woman, rescued by her estranged sister, isn't sure if she just saw God or had a breakdown. If the latter, she is none too concerned, if the former, it is her job to spread the word.

For fans of Mariana Enriquez, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Carmen Maria Machado, this collection by k.r. brown explores the complexity, anxiety and despair of women falling short every time they dare to put themselves first or tell the truth.