A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories

Enriquez’s (The Dangers of Smoking in Bed) entertaining but somewhat uneven short story collection features tales of an Argentina brimming with wonder and horror. Performed by narrators Lee Osorio, Annette Amelia Oliveira, Sol Madariaga, and Maria Liatis, these stories traverse lands where real-world terrors like crime and political unrest meet otherworldly horrors like the ghost of a murdered teenage boy and beautiful dresses that inflict ugly wounds on their wearers. Those familiar with Enriquez’s novel Our Share of Night will recognize how she weaves the fantastical with the grotesque, though, as with many collections, some stories are of higher quality than others. The standouts blend family and cultural dynamics with their fantastic premises; among them are “Julie,” which follows a young woman who enjoys having sexual relations with spirits despite her family’s protest, and “Black Eyes,” which features black-eyed children who may not be children. The use of multiple narrators adds variety to this collection while also immersing readers in Enriquez’s Argentina.