The King of Limbo: Stories

In stories that move deftly from the magical to the mundane, the simple to the surreal, The King of Limbo showcases a mature talent that calls to mind such greats as Alice Munro and Andre Dubus. Here are drifters, waitresses, horse trainers, housewives, a Nigerian foreign exchange student, a fisherman's wife, a cat with a cause. Blending magical realism and a pitch-perfect ear for the expressions of the human heart, Adrianne Harun presents a cast of unforgettable characters caught in limbo between their reality and their dreams.

Set in locales as diverse as a fictional town on the Northwest coast and a Connecticut boarding school, these stories chart physical and emotional landscapes with equal precision and grace. Vacationers dawdle in souvenir shops. Locals quietly observe the superstitions of the sea. A woman, overcome by the loss of a child, runs her car into a Victorian house, only to be adopted by the house's elderly residents. A killer on the loose prompts a newlywed couple to employ a mannequin as a decoy for marital bliss.

Again and again Adrianne Harun displays a unique ability to view the world from a dazzling array of perspectives. The King of Limbo confirms the arrival of a writer to watch.

Adrianne Harun's stories have appeared in numerous journals, including Story, where Harun won first place in the annual short-short competition. She has received a Nelson Algren Award from the Chicago Tribune and a MacDowell fellowship. Harun lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

CONTENTS 13 LUKUDI 33 ACCIDENTS 55 THE UNSEEN EAR OF GOD 61 THE EIGHTH SLEEPER OF EPHESUS 93 ACQUIESCENCE 107 THE KING OF LIMBO 125 THE HIGHWAYMAN 153 A CLOSED SEA 177 HEART SICK 199 THE FISHERMAN S WIFE