SEVEN EMPTY HOUSES, beautifully translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell, is a disorienting collection of seven short stories revolving around the idea of home and the lengths we’d go to protect the ones we love. Schweblin digs her claws into the spaces in which we are most intimate and explores how our peace and certainty can unpredictably be stripped from away from us. Both uncomfortably realistic and dreamlike, the stories are warped by themes of mental illness, loss, and grief. A great pick for #witmonth.