Woman, Eating

A Literary Vampire Novel

By: Claire Kohda

Narrated by: Jane Lui

An IndieNext Pick! A Best Book of 2022 in Harper’s Bazaar, Daily Mail, Glamour, and Thrillist!

Most Anticipated of 2022 in The Millions, Ms. Magazine, LitHub

A young, mixed-race vampire must find a way to balance her deep-seated desire to live amongst humans with her incessant hunger in this stunning debut novel from a writer-to-watch.

Lydia is hungry. She's always wanted to try Japanese food. Sashimi, ramen, onigiri with sour plum stuffed inside - the food her Japanese father liked to eat. And then there is bubble tea and iced-coffee, ice cream and cake, and foraged herbs and plants, and the vegetables grown by the other young artists at the London studio space she is secretly squatting in. But, Lydia can't eat any of these things. Her body doesn't work like those of other people. The only thing she can digest is blood, and it turns out that sourcing fresh pigs' blood in London - where she is living away from her vampire mother for the first time - is much more difficult than she'd anticipated.

Then there are the humans - the other artists at the studio space, the people at the gallery she interns at, the strange men that follow her after dark, and Ben, a boyish, goofy-grinned artist she is developing feelings for. Lydia knows that they are her natural prey, but she can't bring herself to feed on them. In her windowless studio, where she paints and studies the work of other artists, binge-watches Buffy the Vampire Slayer and videos of people eating food on YouTube and Instagram, Lydia considers her place in the world. She has many of the things humans wish for - perpetual youth, near-invulnerability, immortality – but she is miserable; she is lonely; and she is hungry - always hungry.

As Lydia develops as a woman and an artist, she will learn that she must reconcile the conflicts within her - between her demon and human sides, her mixed ethnic heritage, and her relationship with food, and, in turn, humans - if she is to find a way to exist in the world. Before any of this, however, she must eat.

“Absolutely brilliant – tragic, funny, eccentric and so perfectly suited to this particularly weird time. Claire Kohda takes the vampire trope and makes it her own in a way that feels fresh and original. Serious issues of race, disability, misogyny, body image, sexual abuse are handled with subtlety, insight, and a lightness of touch. The spell this novel casts is so complete I feel utterly, and happily, bitten.” -- Ruth Ozeki, Booker-shortlisted author of A Tale for the Time Being

the last few minutes are the best.

the story seemed drawn out, without a lot of movement and the narrator was a bit too breathy for my taste.

A Feast

So glad I picked this book up. A timely commentary on the place of self and art in the world. Deeply feminist and gorgeous prose. I almost never listen back to sections of audiobooks after I've finished it but I listened to that entire final sequence twice. Just stunning.

Narrator was excellent, the voice perfectly suited to the character. Awesome experience.

Origin Of An Antihero!

The most unique take on the vampire lore I've read! Its the begining of a "pure blood" vampire story. She was raised by a woman who taught her how to loathe herself,distrust humans and to keep herself "dim". By chance she gets to go to college away from home,discovers love, sex and her artistic talents. The fear of being a monster almost kills her,then she rises to become the very thing her mother warned her about. I can't wait to find out what happens next!!!!

Incredible

I loved this interpretation of vampires. Felt like a Phoebe Waller-Bridge story the whole way through! Incredible portrayal of feeling alienated from your culture, feeling objectified, growing up with a self-loathing mother, and overall coming of age. Just so incredibly good!!!!

Loved it all

I loved this. It gave slight gothic vibes and a slightly different than usual vampire interpretation. Love the narrator as well.