L: (and things come apart)

A small flat sits unoccupied above Henry’s café. When a woman comes to rent the room, Henry’s world begins an unusual transformation. As they grow closer the city itself is affected, changed, and slowly dismantled. Unsure if he is a victim of his own senility, the chaos inches closer and Henry suspects it may have something to do with the woman upstairs and the stranger she is hiding from.

Ian Orti is the author of The Olive and the Dawn (Snare). He is a columnist for Matrix Magazine and his work has appeared Filling Station, The Toronto Quarterly and VICE Magazine.

Winner of the CBC Bookclub Award

“A haunting novella…Orti has constructed a dark, enticingly murky tale that might or might not be a romance. The book is deceptively rich and complex in form and imagery despite its comparative brevity.” — Bookgaga

“Read this magical tale for beauty, pure and simple.” — The Coast

“This strange city and its lost souls don’t easily leave the mind.” — The Globe and Mail

“Orti writes with a grace that… ensures his brief novel is consistently engaging.” — Quill & Quire