Fiction

The characters in ‘Trouble Crossing the Bridge’ are separated by time, place, age, gender, and yet they are brought together here, making this debut collection a melting-pot of personalities, voice, setting, and plot.

This inventive debut collection focuses on the complexities of human interaction through the lens of animal behaviour and quirky natural phenomena. The best of these tales blend transformative, fantastical happenings with a wry but soulful tone, reminiscent of writers such as Aimee Bender. There is plenty of structural and thematic boldness in Animal Behaviour, but at the same time, Amanda McLeod always maintains a clear empathy with her characters and their struggles. A really diverting read.