Haughty Bengals, faithful Maine coons, and feral These are the haunting familiars that animate Nina de Gramont's superbly imagined debut collection of short fiction. Prowling through every story, these enigmatic creatures expose the truth that lies beneath the surface of every encounter between women and the men they love. A young woman finds two dark surprises in her a magpie dismembered by her mischievous cat, and an unsettling glimpse of her fiancé's secret inclinations... A pregnant housewife quietly suffers a visit from her troubled brother-in-law while her hidden anger comes to life in the suddenly hostile behavior of her docile house cat... A frustrated newlywed clings to the last vestige of her well-appointed upbringing—a pampered Himalayan high point—until a rangy stray cat shows her the true meaning of marriage... As clever, finessed, and keen as the feline disposition it celebrates, Of Cats and Men marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in fiction.