A Narrowing Path bookcover

A Narrowing Path

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Description

Elsa has felt awkward and out of her depth for as long as she can remember. In a world where one's Animal Affinity is a sign of maturity and worth, Elsa's inability to demonstrate hers has become more than a disappointing nuisance; it's a narrowing path.

Obscured behind the curtain of society's disdain, she has no confidence that she'll ever conquer her Plainness. Frustrated by her failure to fit into their picture-perfect life, Elsa's family grows more intolerant of her by the week. Her boss, a seven-foot-tall rage demon, is one clawed step away from setting loose his temper and firing her-or worse.

And on top of all that, her cat wants to eat her. Things could be better. But that's not the direction they're heading.

A violent gang of wolves prowls the streets of Elsa's neighborhood, harassing Plain Ones. With the pack's presence becoming stronger and its threat more real, Elsa's life is rapidly plummeting from lackluster to perilous.

Her only bright spots are her cousin and a co-worker who seem to know her better than she knows herself. But even though they can see through to what society won't, will that be enough to protect Elsa from making a drastic choice? In her desperation to shed her Plainness, how far will she go to evolve?

Product Details

PublisherMemento Vivere Press LLC
Publish DateMay 30, 2025
Pages94
LanguageEnglish
TypeBook iconPaperback / softback
EAN/UPC9781964501048
Dimensions8.0 X 5.0 X 0.2 inches | 0.2 pounds
BISAC Categories: Fantasy

About the Author

Angélique Jamail is an award-winning Lebanese-American author whose poetry, essays, and short fiction have appeared in dozens of journals and anthologies and been featured on the radio. The first time she read one of her short stories to an audience was fourth grade; the reaction to it was a character-building experience. Her other books include the poetry collection The Sharp Edges of Water, and she's the creator of the zine Sonic Chihuahua. She serves on the Board of Directors for Mutabilis Press and is the Director of Creative Writing at The Kinkaid School. She resides in the Houston area with her family and their cats; she has otherwise lived inside her imagination pretty much her whole life.You can find Angélique Jamail on social media and at her blog, SapphosTorque.com, and she's available for book club appearances in person or via live video.www.AngeliqueJamail.com

Reviews

"It's not often I get that viscerally emotional on behalf of a fictional character. In a setting of overt fantasy, Angélique Jamail has created some of the most real people I've encountered via text in a long time."

-Ari Marmell

Hot Lead, Cold Iron, and The Widdershins Series

"A silver vein of irony runs through . . . It is a witty tale of conformity, prejudice, and transformation, in a world that is disturbing as much for its familiarity as for its strangeness. In a place where everyone is different, Elsa is the wrong kind of different, and that means facing pity, discrimination, danger, and sharp teeth. Dive into this story, readers, and confront them for yourself; it may just change the way you feel about things . . ."

-Marie Marshall

The Everywhen Angels and I am not a fish

"Jamail takes a classic story and puts a fresh and unique twist on it . . . She writes in a very straightforward prose, which when peppered with the magical realism . . . creates an interesting juxtaposition of styles. I most appreciate how real some of these characters are, and I was amazed at how Jamail played with my emotions with such a brief story. I eagerly await the next installment!"

-Reader review

"The writing itself is magical. [For] anyone who enjoys magical realism or anyone who just enjoys sparklingly original pieces that are poetic and truly well-written."

-Reader review

"A lovely coming-of-age story about a young woman who is struggling to realize who she is meant to be. It captures the struggle many post-college graduates face trying to find a career they'll be happy in, but with a beautiful supernatural allegory. Jamail paints a fascinating world, and I look forward to reading more books of hers!"

-Reader review

"Jamail's prose is vivid and precise, and the implications of this magical world resonate far beyond a seemingly simple story. Transformation, after all, is the stuff of fairy tales, of fantasy literature from its very beginnings (like the wild man Enkidu from Gilgamesh). Elsa's seemingly simple story shimmers with allegorical possibilities. How interesting that the truest manifestation of a 'self' is to exhibit animal features . . . It leads one-or at least this reader-to reconsider the ways we think about and construct the self, the ways we value and talk about self-realization or self-respect, and to reflect on the ways that it is seemingly both rooted in human and animal nature to fear and distrust difference. What looks like a simple, engaging story on the surface here has profound depths."

-Reader review

"I loved this book! It is so imaginative and beautifully written! With its quirky imagery and mystical aura, it is a most unusual story with something to say about the perils of growing up in a society that encourages conformity. A most unusual read!"

-Reader review

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