“Stunning. . .[Edwards’s] sinuous prose and endless empathy work their spell. . .Radiant, original, and passionate, these are memorable stories.” —Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever
“The Secrets of a Fire King gives eloquence to their astonishing range of discoveries and leaves the reader entranced.”
—Nina Sonenberg, The New York Times Book Review
“These lives are exotic; they are electric with risk, violence, and sorrow. And we will remember them.”
—Frederick Busch
“Impeccable, a treasure. . .[Edwards] shows herself to be a fully realized writer. . . Edwards’s brilliance is evident in the way she constructs a story.”
—Patricia Lear, Chicago Tribune
“Striking. . .powerful.”
—Amanda Heller, The Boston Globe
“The Secrets of a Fire King is a brilliant collection. Its range of deeply felt characters alone out to inspire in a very broad audience the conviction that the short story form is now safely in the nurture of a very gifted and compassionate young master.
—James A. McPherson
“This collection is rich with subtle wisdom. Kim Edwards is a penetrating writer and in every story gives us the opportunity to glimpse—and comprehend—the elusive mysteries of love.”
—Joanna Scott
“Ambitious and moving. . . Edwards writes quietly and intelligently. . . Each story here is finely crafted and deeply felt.”
—Jane McCafferty, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
“The Secrets of a Fire King is the work of a thoughtful writer with an elegant style. . .a talented new storyteller.”
—Tom Wilhelmus The Hudson Review
“Kim Edwards has not only a gift for storytelling, but something far more rare—an interesting mind. I enjoyed her subtle characters, her unusual settings, and the risky and perilous situations that propel these skillful stories. The Secrets of a Fire King is a remarkable and rewarding first collection.”
—Lynn Sharon Schwartz
“Kim Edwards is marvel, an enchanter, a weaver of spells. . .You’ll be unsettled and disarmed, and when you catch your breath, you’ll remember why you came to love stories in the first place.”
—John Dufresne
“Beautifully focused. . .[Edwards’s] tales read like the work of a wise traveler who returns home with uncommon souvenirs from other lands.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
