A woman returns to the mysterious lodge in the woods where she once worked, and to the inscrutable creature that bound her there, in this haunting Appalachian gothic horror from singular voice Jen Julian. Perfect for fans of Alix E. Harrow and T. Kingfisher.
This is the story of Moth, who earned her name working for the Winter Folk.
Every year, the Winter Folk gather at a secret lodge in the Appalachians, a place known as Deerhaven, refuge for the time-worn and weary. As a child, Moth heard warnings from her mother: They are heartless, wild creatures-and they got no concern of us. At twenty-one, Moth is a college dropout, indebted, impoverished, and desperate for better things. She falls instantly for Deerhaven's beautiful antlered host, the mild-mannered Mr. Oslin. When he offers her a housekeeper's contract-one wish granted for a winter of service-she signs without question.
But Deerhaven is a dangerous place. Staff must follow strict rules or else face dire consequences, and the guests can be unpredictable and savage. And yet, Moth endures, enticed by a rumor that Mr. Oslin is looking for a protégé. A singular worker who would stay with him forever and be transformed.
Decades later, Moth returns to Appalachia with her husband and teenage daughter. She can't shake the feeling that she needs to return to Deerhaven, which banished her twenty years ago. As she hunts for a way in, her haunting memories and harrowing experiences come roaring back - her friends and rivals, her growing obsession with Mr. Oslin, and her mysterious exile.
A door exists in the dark of the woods. After so long away, what has Deerhaven become? Jen Julian's previous publications include a short story collection, Earthly Delights and Other Apocalypses (Press 53, 2018), which was the winner of Press 53's Short Fiction Prize, as well as work in numerous literary journals, most recently a story in Third Coast Magazine, which received distinction in Best American Short Stories 2023. Jen holds a PhD in English from the University of Missouri and an MFA in Fiction from UNC Greensboro. A 2016 Clarion Alumna, she has contributed fiction both to the Sewanee Writers' Conference and the Texas Book Festival. These days, Jen lives in the mountains of North Georgia with her enormous ginger cat and teaches creative writing at Young Harris College. "Drenched in dread and yearning, Red Rabbit Ghost is the kind of Gothic novel that you don't so much read as inhale. I loved it."-Kelly Link, author of The Book of Love on Red Rabbit Ghost "Deeply immersive and darkly mysterious. Certain to be one of the year's standout horror reads."-Craig DiLouie, author of Episode Thirteen on Red Rabbit Ghost
"Julian's queer, southern-gothic debut is a heady and atmospheric rumination on grief and belonging that will appeal to readers who enjoyed The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher and Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo, and is a perfect pick for fans of Twin Peaks."-Booklist on Red Rabbit Ghost
"[An] auspicious debut... [The] story is borne along by well-shaded characters, whose complex inner lives abound with mysteries that can't all be easily solved. The result is a chilling dark fantasy that readers will savor." -Publishers Weekly on Red Rabbit Ghost "At once elegiac and deeply visceral, Red Rabbit Ghost is a bittersweet ode to all the ways in which a place can haunt us long after we've departed – and transform us when we return."-Georgia Summers, #1 International Bestselling Author of City of Stardust on Red Rabbit Ghost "Red Rabbit Ghost is a terrifying delight that deftly weaves together the ordinary and supernatural horrors of life in a small town. Sharply contemporary while remaining true to its Southern gothic roots, Red Rabbit Ghost is the perfect blend of WhatsApp and witchcraft, dive bars and haunted houses. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down!"-Gwen Kirby, author of Shit Cassandra Saw on Red Ra
