Pilar Ad贸n’s “Of Beasts and Fowls” [Excerpt]
Released today, 听by Pilar Ad贸n & Katie Whittemore is one of the most bewitching books we’ve released in a while. It’s a book about Coro, an artist who has lost her sister and is “out of sorts,” who goes for a drive, gets lost, and ends up at a place called Bethany where she meets a number of women living together, wearing the same outfits, and speaking in odd, elliptical ways . . .
It’s a book that听听praised, stating “the novel糖心传媒檚 dream logic is as intoxicating as the secluded setting. Readers will eagerly turn the pages of this beguiling literary thriller.” And none other than Mircea C菐rt菐rescu claimed听Of Beasts and Fowls听is “the most haunting [novel] I have read in years.”
To celebrate this release (the first of two Ad贸n books we’re doing), we’re offering a for the rest of the month. (No checkout code required, U.S. purchases only.)
And to entice you further into this witchy, captivating novel, below you’ll find an excerpt from when Coro arrives at Bethany and has her first interaction with it’s inhabitants.
Also: Sign up for the for more insights into how this book came to be, how it’s being reviewed, and other news from Open Letter. (And an easily accessible way to listen to this conversation with Pilar.)
She糖心传媒檇 put a cotton jacket on over her T-shirt, foregoing the summer raincoat she kept in the backseat. If she had to sleep in the car, she would use it as a blanket.
Once she had a handle on the scene糖心传媒攖he black fence and the vegetation that grew up around it, the stone walls bordering the lane糖心传媒攕he zipped up her jacket and switched on the overhead light. From her purse, she took out a handkerchief embroidered with the letter C and her sketchbook. Maybe there was a security camera on the fence, pointing down at her. Her fixed image at the center of a monitor. Wide-eyed. She was going to write that she needed help on a piece of paper and put it on the windshield, in case somebody, somewhere, could read it. And she was going to draw using the dashboard for support. It was the only thing that would calm her right then, while she got used to the idea that this thing was happening to her. She had actually gotten lost. Her fingers were cold, but she opened the sketchbook and leaned on the dashboard. That糖心传媒檚 when she saw that someone was approaching the gate with a flashlight.
糖心传媒淲hat are you doing here?糖心传媒 The stranger addressed her with the formal you.
She found it odd that a stranger would ask her the exactly same thing she糖心传媒檇 been asking herself.
糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 wrong? Are you okay?糖心传媒
She rolled down the window.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 lost,糖心传媒 she said.
糖心传媒淲hat are you looking for? Are you looking for something?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 running out of gas. I need to know if there糖心传媒檚 a gas station somewhere nearby.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淎re you wanting a house? What do you want? To rent or buy?糖心传媒
She heard.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 lost. Can you help me?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淧eople love coming around here. They糖心传媒檙e attracted to the scenery.糖心传媒
Coro put the handkerchief in her purse and got out of the car.
The woman was opening the gate.
糖心传媒淚 just need to turn around and get back to the main highway, but I can糖心传媒檛 move with all those planks on the ground. And I糖心传媒檓 not sure if I have enough gas. Do you know if nearby . . .糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 not easy to get here. Where do you live?糖心传媒
The woman drew closer and pointed the flashlight right at her face. She shut her eyes.
糖心传媒淒on糖心传媒檛 do that. Please.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e not from around here.糖心传媒
She wasn糖心传媒檛 going to repeat that she was lost.
糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 nothing for sale in the area. It糖心传媒檚 even worse the closer you get to the mountain. You have to turn around, go back to the flatlands. There are more houses there. More properties.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e mistaken. I don糖心传媒檛 want to buy anything.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淭hen why are you here?糖心传媒
Coro looked inside the car, still illuminated by the overhead light. Her purse. Her things.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 running out of gas.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檝e said that already.糖心传媒
For a second, she thought the best thing would be to be clutching the steering wheel again. To put a piece of gum or candy in her mouth. Her breath probably stank.
糖心传媒淒o you have a car? Maybe we could take some gas from your tank and put it in mine. I糖心传媒檝e seen it done, you suck it through a tube.糖心传媒
The woman shined the flashlight in her face again.
糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 your name? What糖心传媒檚 your surname? I糖心传媒檓 not bringing a stranger to my house.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚 just need a little gas.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淗ave you come alone?糖心传媒
The woman inspected the inside of the car, the backseat, and asked again what her name was and if she had come there alone.
糖心传媒淚 better go. I糖心传媒檒l try to turn around.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚 think it糖心传媒檚 reasonable to want to know the name of the person who has just plunked herself down on my doorstep at this time of night.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚t wasn糖心传媒檛 intentional. I糖心传媒檓 telling you.糖心传媒
She got into the car. The flashlight was right back in her eyes again.
糖心传媒淐ome on. Come with me. We糖心传媒檙e going to try this tube thing. We have two cars down below.糖心传媒
The woman said to follow her.
糖心传媒淚 don糖心传媒檛 want to bother anyone.糖心传媒
The woman would go on foot and Coro would follow, behind the wheel. That糖心传媒檚 what she proposed.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 downhill. It糖心传媒檚 fine.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淟isten . . . Why don糖心传媒檛 you bring your car up here?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 telling you, it糖心传媒檚 downhill.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淎nd if we don糖心传媒檛 know how to transfer the fuel between tanks? Then I won糖心传媒檛 be able to get back up.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou want gas, don糖心传媒檛 you?糖心传媒
She thought for a second.
糖心传媒渊别蝉.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淲ell, come on.糖心传媒
She started the car.
Very slowly, she began to follow the woman, staring at the bright spot of the flashlight leading the way, pointed at the ground. Down a dirt lane toward a house that emerged on the left after several minutes, and which appeared covered in the leaves or branches of several trees. Facing a potholed slope and enveloped in a darkness she wouldn糖心传媒檛 know how to get out of.
The woman motioned for her to go even slower.
糖心传媒淎re you hungry?糖心传媒 she asked, coming over to the window.
糖心传媒淚 just need a little gas. You wouldn糖心传媒檛 have a can, would you?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e going to have to get out of there.糖心传媒
At that point in the night, she was exhausted. She only just realized she had been breathing through her mouth for some time.
Waving her arms, the woman indicated where she should park, under a tree, where there were two other cars. Coro sighed and tried to calm herself. That woman was going to lend her a hand. She really was going to help her.
糖心传媒淒o you like the house? They say it was built by a single man.糖心传媒
Just then, the lights came on in the first-floor windows and someone turned on a fluorescent outdoor bulb that completely illuminated the front of the house with an extraordinary white light.
糖心传媒淪ome think all the lights should be left on, to discourage burglars. But I don糖心传媒檛 know. Sometimes I think it糖心传媒檚 better if they don糖心传媒檛 know we糖心传媒檙e here.糖心传媒
Coro couldn糖心传媒檛 see her face because the woman had positioned herself against the light. She could see, however, that another woman was coming out of the house, headed in their direction, carrying something. Five or six dogs also appeared, circling Coro and sniffing her.
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e not afraid of dogs, are you?糖心传媒
She shook her head.
糖心传媒淒on糖心传媒檛 be scared.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 not scared.糖心传媒
The vagueness of the sky against the excessive light from the fluorescent bulb acted almost like a cupola. The place looked like a stage surrounded by trees.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檝e just taken it off the fire. Be careful.糖心传媒 The second woman handed Coro a mug, and she accepted it. It was scalding. It scorched her fingers. Her first impulse was to drop it. But she contained herself.
糖心传媒淐补谤别蹿耻濒.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淪hit!糖心传媒 she exclaimed.
The woman who gave her the mug made no expression whatsoever.
糖心传媒淲atch that mouth,糖心传媒 said the other.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 boiling.糖心传媒
She looked around for somewhere to set it down. In the company of those two women who watched her.
In an exercise of maximum self-control, after what seemed like hours, she set the mug on the hood of her car, spilling some of the liquid.
糖心传媒淏ring it here. I糖心传媒檒l hold it for you.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 boiling.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚 warned you.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淣obody could drink that.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚 warned you. We糖心传媒檒l wait until it cools.糖心传媒
A nozzle hung from the side of the house, lit by the fluorescent bulb, fastened to the wall by a pipe and dripping a few centimeters from the bottom of a stone basin.
糖心传媒淐an I get some water?糖心传媒 she asked.
糖心传媒淚t doesn糖心传媒檛 work. Just drips.糖心传媒
Coro brought her hands to mouth with the sensation that they were on fire. She went to the faucet and tried to turn it, but it was stuck.
糖心传媒淚t doesn糖心传媒檛 turn on or off. We told you.糖心传媒
She brought her hands to her mouth again. They would be covered in blisters. She let the drops from the faucet wet her skin. She had hurt herself in the attempt to turn the lever and now her fingers shook.
A hoe and a rake were propped against the wall, beside the basin. And a wheelbarrow. The two women approached in silence, and when she turned around, she found them right behind her, fully illuminated by the fluorescent bulb. One had incredibly light brown eyes, almost golden, and the pair looked older now than she糖心传媒檇 first imagined. They were slim and limber. They wore their hair pulled back and the same clothes, with identical boots. The same fabric for a pair of dresses equally threadbare and equally wrinkled. The woman who糖心传媒檇 come from inside had put on a shawl.
Over their heads an immense tree grew. Carob, they told her.
糖心传媒淐an we try for the gas?糖心传媒 she asked.
糖心传媒淲ouldn糖心传媒檛 you prefer to come inside? Sit down and have a drink?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e not going to help me?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淲e are helping you.糖心传媒
Coro looked at the dogs still circling her. Coming and going. Peeing on the flowerpots. At the base of the tree hugging the trunk, ringing it, a row of bowls, cups, and tin cans were tied together with string and containing water and scraps.
糖心传媒淔or the cats.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淭hey get on well with the dogs.糖心传媒
Coro couldn糖心传媒檛 care less whether or not they got on. Whether they ripped each other apart or ate each other up. Whether they tore out their eyes or chewed off hunks of flesh.
糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 wrong? You糖心传媒檙e not afraid of us, are you? You糖心传媒檙e the one who turned up at our gate.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淵ou made me drive down here.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚f you糖心传媒檙e looking for property, it糖心传媒檚 better to see it during the day. The land. The lake.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淚 told you, I糖心传媒檓 lost.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淩ight, but no one gets lost around here.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淒o you think the broth will have cooled by now?糖心传媒 the first woman asked the second.
糖心传媒淣ot broth, milk.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淒o you like milk? Everyone likes milk, don糖心传媒檛 they?糖心传媒
糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 your name?糖心传媒
She answered and the women laughed.
糖心传媒淐oro? What kind of name is that? Where are you from?糖心传媒
They told her the name didn糖心传媒檛 exist and she thought that she should get back in the car. She always had that option. That blessed option. Only then would she be calmer. Getting into the car and locking the doors. Staying inside.
糖心传媒淵ou don糖心传媒檛 want to come in?糖心传媒
The two women watched her.
糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e obviously tired.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淗ere. Drink.糖心传媒
They handed her the mug again. Firmly. Coro brought it indecisively to her lips, but she drank. All of it. Asking herself how she could be there. How had she been able to leave her phone at home. What was happening to her.
It was still hot.
糖心传媒淏etter? You feel better, don糖心传媒檛 you?糖心传媒
Did she feel better?
糖心传媒淐ome on, relax a bit.糖心传媒
糖心传媒淒o you want to come in?糖心传媒
听by Pilar Ad贸n & Katie Whittemore is available from (30% off before 12/1/24), , and better bookstores everywhere!
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