I am a short story lover. It is a format of storytelling I always enjoy going back to, and I am always amazed how authors create an atmosphere in a few pages. Anuja Varghese’s writing was a true beautiful discovery. She creates poetic, out of this world stories, weaved with death, sensuality, hope and love. Her prose is just touching and emotional, exploring the lives of women faced with adversity. The stories involve mythology, folklore, but also mundane events. Anuja’s world building made me think of Lisa Tuttle or Marguerite Yoursenar’s short stories : women touched by adversity and a flavor of realism magic.

There are 15 short stories in Chrysalis. I truly enjoyed every one of them. They all share the themes of transformation and belonging, centering women of color and exploring queerness, family, and community. I highly recommend the audiobook read by Anuja Varghese. It added depth to my reading experience and took me at the heart of Anuja’s incredible creations.