Magic for Beginners: Stories

Perfect for readers of George Saunders, Karen Russell, Neil Gaiman, and Aimee Bender, Magic for Beginners is an exquisite, dreamlike dispatch from a virtuoso storyteller who can do seemingly anything. Kelly Link reconstructs modern life through an intoxicating prism, conjuring up unforgettable worlds with humor and humanity.These stories are at once ingenious and deeply moving. They leave the reader astonished and exhilarated.

Includes an exclusive conversation between Kelly Link and Joe Hill

Praise for Magic for Beginners

“A sorceress to be reckoned with.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Kelly] Link’s stories . . . play in a place few writers go, a netherworld between literature and fantasy, Alice Munro and J. K. Rowling, and Link finds truths there that most authors wouldn’t dare touch.”—Lev Grossman, Time

“She is unique and should be declared a national treasure.”—Neil Gaiman

“Funny, scary, surprising and powerfully moving within the span of a single story or even a single sentence.”—Karen Russell, The Miami Herald

“This is what certain readers live for: fiction that makes the world instead of merely mimicking it.”—Audrey Niffenegger

“[These] exquisite stories mix the aggravations and epiphanies of everyday life with the stuff that legends, dreams and nightmares are made of.”—Laura Miller, Salon, Best Books of the Decade

“A major talent . . . Like George Saunders, [Link] can’t dismiss the hidden things that tap on our windows at night.”—The Boston Globe

“The most darkly playful voice in American fiction.”—Michael Chabon

“I think she is the most impressive writer of her generation.”—Peter Straub

“Link’s world is one to savor. [Grade:] A”—Entertainment Weekly

“Intricate, wildly imaginative and totally wonderful . . . will fill you with awe and joy.”—NPR