Rebecka H

As I was reading "Fruiting Bodies," Kathryn Harlan's debut short story collection, vivid images and scenes would continuously play out in my mind based on the evocative descriptions of people and places. While all stories center on humans and their relationships, nature is always present, and sometimes, as in the title story, the line between humans and nature is blurred in the form of a symbiotic relationship existing between the main characters and the various fungi (edible as well as poisonous) growing on one of their bodies. Even if she had not incorporated the supernatural elements appearing at regular intervals throughout the book, Harlan has a knack for depicting ordinary people living lives that come across as a little magical just from the sheer beauty of her writing.