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Staff Pick

We Could Be Rats

A Novel

by Emily Austin

A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination--from the bestselling author ofEveryone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.



Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal. Having always resisted the idea of "growing up" and the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend, Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Sigrid was never close with her older sister, Margit, who is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid's inability to conform to the expectations of polite society.



Sigrid's detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She's haunted by the pains of her past--both distant, like when she pretended her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments, and more recent, as she grapples with losing Greta's friendship amid the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets

out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward.



What unfolds is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.
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FICTION & POETRY
FICTION

AUCK OUT OF STOCK

WGTN IN STOCK

Pages:

256

Published:

2 Apr 2025

Format

Paperback

Publisher

Atria Books

ISBN:

9781668202081

A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination--from the bestselling author ofEveryone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.

Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal. Having always resisted the idea of "growing up" and the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend, Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Sigrid was never close with her older sister, Margit, who is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid's inability to conform to the expectations of polite society.

Sigrid's detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She's haunted by the pains of her past--both distant, like when she pretended her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments, and more recent, as she grapples with losing Greta's friendship amid the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets

out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward.

What unfolds is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.
$38.00

I ugly cried so hard I nearly threw up. This is such a special book. Sparkling flawed characters and a story that unfolds in the most satisfying, heart-shattering way- Austin has a real gift for telling these off-beat and achingly human stories. Though it takes us through some dark places, the tone remains light and ultimately hopeful. Call your sister and tell her you love her.

Eden's avatarEden, Unity Books wellington