Fans of short stories will relish this collection of six. They have various settings which are vividly described but all feature animals, if only in cameo. Each story involves a character on the precipice of change. It's a slim volume but perfect to keep by your bedside-read them one at a time. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A lovely collection of short stories with a very European feel. I’m not typically a fan of story collections, so I’m always surprised to enjoy one!

A overall great book. I loved all the stories and the fact it has international settings. It was a fun read. I would def recommend it!

Haunting. Real. Powerful. Disturbing. The kind of stories that make you reflect on what you just read. The writing is beautiful, but something was missing for me. And I can not put my finger on it.

This was a solid collection of stories, filled with relatable characters facing relatable dilemmas. I enjoyed the international settings, the author's descriptive powers and the compelling nature of the conflict each character is working through. In places, these stories felt a little unfinished and the prose a little unpolished so it wasn't my favourite book from Marciano. I'd still recommend it for those who like realistic short stories without the kind of magically realism that is prevalent in so many short story collections today.

Gorgeous book of stories.Characters tales that transported from my reading chair to exotic places and storylines.A book I will be highly recommending.#netgalley animalspirit

Marciano writes with such naturalness and lack of artifice in each of these carefully composed and engrossing stories that are at times funny, at times poignant, and all tremendously interesting. An absolutely terrific collection.

These short stories set in different locations across Europe are like stepping into a Passolini film. The way Marciano cinematically draws characters and setting in each of the stories is mesmerizing. The descriptions of Italy and Greece are so enthralling that if you close your eyes, you can imagine yourself there, in the Piazza Navona or in a trattoria near Fontana di Trevi.
This book will leave you with a wish to throw that coin into the fountain and wishing you were back in Rome.