‘This is what literature should be: rich, subtle, intelligent, full of the magic and mystery of the world and of the human heart. I will return to this collection again and again. Kevin Brophy is a master at the height of his powers.’

— Emily Bitto

‘Brophy’s stories are like precise, meticulous fables, full of characters holding on to small, hard-won truths. The stories are Chekhovian in their quiet empathy, which frequently leaves the reader with an enigmatic final image that shifts the aperture, giving us a poignant glimpse of something ineffable. I loved reading The Lion in Love.’

— Cate Kennedy

‘There’s such a range in Brophy’s writing—he can move easily between tender and compassionate grace notes, and dark, troubled worlds, not to mention lightening dashes of humour (overt and sly). But through it all, you’re perpetually aware of an intense, intelligent, minutely observing eye fascinated by the consciousness of the people he’s creating, and allowing us inside... At the end of reading, I simply felt uplifted.’

— John Clanchy