The first three stories in this collection are my favorites: Cleopatra Brimstone, Pavane for a Dead Prince, and The Least Trumps. All three are beautifully written, and the stories are unusual.
In the first story, an unusual young woman seems to have a strange and fantastic connection to the moths she has studied for years. The story builds in pacing and anticipation, with a tension that starts to run through it about half-way, and there's a nice twist at the end.
The second story focuses on a woman who is friends with two people, one of whom is dying. Hand's descriptive writing brings these people to life in absolute clarity, which I like.
The third story has the most magical realism to it, if you can call it that. A woman who lives on an island discovers a stack of what appear to be blank tarot cards. However, when she finds that two of them actually have images on them, it's clear to her that the two cards are the "least trumps" mentioned in a story to which she has a deep connection. As a tattoo artist, she inks herself with one of the images, only to find later that the card is now blank. When a person from her past comes knocking at her door, it becomes apparent that this last card is acutely important, and what she decides to do next will have a an immense impact on her life.
I have read the entire book more than once, but these are the stories I return to again and again, because I enjoy them so much.
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