"What magic, what beauty there is in these pages."--John Freeman, author of Wind, TreesIn this adventurous debut lurk stories that are deep, lush, and full of wonder. While camping in the Kalahari Desert, a couple grows attached to a starving lion on the cusp of death; meanwhile, just north of the Smokies, a young boy is held captive by a dangerous old man who hunts dogs for sport; and off the Hawaiian coast, lovers kayak into the ocean to observe a tiger shark, only to find themselves in treacherous waters. The characters in these stories are headstrong and complex, and the prose is buoyant, rhythmic, and fiercely knowing. Nights from This Galaxy captures the spirit of a wild and wonderful planet, while acknowledging our shared fragility and the imminent grief that binds us all.