‘Ghost Pains’ collects Jessi Jezewska Stevens’ acclaimed short stories in one place, bringing together works previously published in The Paris Review and Harper's. Whether road trips through the American landscape and family ghosts, or the liminal state of honeymooning in Tuscany, Stevens is adept at bringing out small moments in her characters’ lives to reflect more. Her writing has a feel of history, reminding me of Katherine Mansfield, only to surprise me with reference to Siri or the internet. History, identity, and relationships are all questioned. Each story draws you into the world it creates, no matter how far from your own. You will feel the need to know why the party was a failure. And with each close, an eagerness to read the next. (Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking myself off to buy Stevens’ previous novels: ‘The Exhibition of Persephone Q’ and ‘The Visitors’ – both highly acclaimed.) KM

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