Lisa Taddeo, author of 2019’s Three Women, is back with a new anthology book already one of 2022’s most anticipated releases. Titled Ghost Lover, the book is a collection of short stories, where the world of empowerment is unpacked and understood by those featured. 

What is Ghost Lover about?

Consisting of nine stories, Ghost Lover intimately and attentively looks at the nature of female psyche with some characters hating themselves are than they could any other woman, others stalking ex lovers and some grieving the loss of their youth or their parents. It is a piece of literature with sharp prose, much like Taddeo’s previous works. 

Dedicated to “all the girls who’ve loved before,” the anthology text includes previously published works by Taddeo, alongside enthralling new pieces, including the titular Ghost Lover tale. In the piece, a woman creates a dating service outsourcing the pain of the texting stage of dating to a hip group of women. Taddeo said this stems from her own experiences of dating in New York City and how texting can become a confusing, tumultuous time in the early stages dating.

Alongside this, the author explores the concept of ageing from the perspective of a woman in story ‘Forty-two,’ writing, “When [Joan’s] pedicure was older than a week in the winter and five days in the summer, she actually hated herself.” This stemmed from the ‘rule book’ women are given from childhood, and acts as an antidote to the fact that we are all ageing and it is the only constant in life.

What are the key themes explored by Taddeo in Ghost Lover?

Central to Ghost Lover is the theme of empowerment, particularly explored through female friendships and the strength they can hold. Similar to that seen in Three Women, the short stories in the book circle back to the idea that female friendship is “working and firing on all cylinders” and is the greatest thing in the world. 

Ghost Lover is available to purchase now from all good bookstores.