"The rubble of an ancient civilization. A village in a valley from which no one comes or goes. A forest of mother-trees, whispering to each other through their roots; a lakeside lighthouse where a girl slips into human skin as lightly as an otter into water; a desert settlement where there was no conflict, before she came; or the town of Wantwick, ruled by a soothsayer, where tourists lose everything they have. These are the places where things begin. New from the author of The Story of My Face and Alphabet, Paradise & Elsewhere is a collection of dark fables at once familiar and entirely strange: Kathy Page notches a new path through the wild, lush, half-fantastic and half-real terrain of fairy tale and myth."--Back cover.

"A John Metcalf book."

G-Ming -- Lak-ha -- Of paradise -- The ancient Siddanese -- Low tide -- My beautiful wife -- We, the trees -- Clients -- Lambing -- Woodsmoke -- I like to look -- Saving Grace -- The kissing disease -- My fees.