Austin Horror Book Club 👻📕

THE DROWNING GIRL BY CAITLIN R. KIERNAN (2012)

Join us for a discussion of The Drowning Girl, a haunting and unconventional horror novel that blurs the boundaries between memory, madness, folklore, and the supernatural.
This month we're diving into a book that refuses easy answers. Part ghost story, part psychological horror, part fairy tale, and part unreliable memoir, The Drowning Girl invites readers into the fragmented world of India Morgan Phelps ("Imp"), a young woman trying to make sense of her past, her family history, and a mysterious woman she may or may not have encountered along a lonely road.

As always, we'll discuss the book's themes, characters, horror elements, and whatever strange theories emerge around the table.

ABOUT THE BOOK
India Morgan Phelps knows she is mentally ill. She also knows that years ago she met a woman beside a New England highway, a woman who may have been a ghost, a mermaid, a wolf, or something else entirely.

As Imp attempts to tell her story, the narrative twists through memories, paintings, myths, and contradictions. The result is a deeply unsettling exploration of perception, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caitlín R. Kiernan is an award-winning author known for blending horror, dark fantasy, science fiction, mythology, and psychological fiction. Their work often explores themes of memory, identity, transformation, and the limits of human understanding. The Drowning Girl is widely regarded as one of their most acclaimed novels and received both the Bram Stoker and James Tiptree Jr. Awards.

THEMES TO KEEP IN MIND
🧠 The Nature of Reality
How do we determine what is real when memory, perception, and experience can't always be trusted?

🧜 Myth, Folklore, and Storytelling
The novel draws heavily from fairy tales, legends, and archetypal stories. Consider how these myths shape both the narrative and the characters.

🎨 Identity and Self-Understanding
Imp is constantly trying to understand herself and her place in the world. Pay attention to how art, memory, relationships, and illness influence that journey.

BEFORE THE EVENT

• Read the book.
• Keep your RSVP up-to-date. If you can't make it out, update your RSVP at least 24 hours beforehand. Attendance will be taken and "No Show"s marked.

AT THE EVENT

• We’re a friendly welcoming bunch and we love new folks!
• Please purchase something (even if just a soda) while you’re at the restaurant. They’re running a business but being super awesome by giving us a space to meet for free. Also, please tip our servers. We’re a big bunch to wrangle.