Here Is a Game We Could Play - A Novel

Here Is a Game We Could Play is a novel set in Pennsylvania in the 1990s, following Claudia, an intelligent eccentric who escapes into books and a fantasy life with her perfect lover. She forms new real-life relationships and reconsiders her sexual identity, but paranoia threatens to ruin her relationship with Rose. The novel is funny, dark, inventive, and moving, recalling the work of Aimee Bender, Angela Carter, Rebecca Brown, and Margaret Atwood.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2021
Publisher: Acre Books

A captivating novel set in Pennsylvania during the 1990s, Here Is a Game We Could Play delves into the life of Claudia, an intelligent and eccentric individual trapped in the rundown industrial town she grew up in. Filled with haunting memories and concealed dangers, Claudia seeks solace in books and immerses herself in fantastical realms, where she crafts letters to her ideal lover, exploring intricate sexual scenarios.

In these imaginative narratives, Claudia's lover takes on various forms, ranging from a prison guard in a world where metaphor is forbidden to a mysterious Hansel from the Grimms fairy tale to a tentacled mind-reading space alien. Despite forming new connections in her real-life, Claudia yearns for a profound intimacy that eludes her. Through her interactions with an elderly volunteer at the library, a cunning temp at her dead-end job, and a passionate affair with Rose, the town's new librarian, Claudia embarks on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

However, when paranoia threatens to disrupt her relationship with Rose, Claudia is compelled to confront not only her anxiety but also the unresolved trauma from her past—the disappearance of her father on a night she has long repressed. With its blend of humor, darkness, inventiveness, and emotional depth, Here Is a Game We Could Play serves as an impressive debut novel that pays homage to the works of Aimee Bender, Angela Carter, Rebecca Brown, and Margaret Atwood.

Weight: 358g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781946724403