A young musician girl befriends a flock of birds, and this opens up unexpected possibilities for her. The rat-catcher summoned to the court turns out to be drawn into a struggle for the throne of a ruined kingdom. A young husband discovers that his wife has bought an enormous plush bear—terrifying because of its too attentive gaze. Caught in carefully set traps and traps made by their own hands, the characters of Naomi Ishiguro’s debut collection strive for freedom and flight, and the changes waiting for them around the corner exceed even the boldest expectations.