IAN Book of the Year Award 2025 - Finalist
Rubery Book Award 2023 - shortlisted
The Clock in My Mother’s House
They say life can change in the blink of an eye, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
An explosion at a hotel results in staff and guests relying on each other, while a woman retrieves an old clock from the attic with disturbing consequences. One man leaves heartache in his wake; another brings forth adventure.
Within this captivating collection, Annalisa Crawford introduces characters who will enchant, fascinate, and intrigue you.
Annalisa's stories have appeared in Fairlight Shorts, Fictive Dream, and Reflex Fiction; and received long- and shortlist recognition in prestigious competitions such as the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Bath Short Story Award, and the Colm Tobin Short Story Award.
Praise for The Clock in My Mother’s House
"Melding mundane life with the fantastical, Annalisa Crawford creates a haunting and wistful collection of short stories that will possess the reader’s imagination long after the last page has been turned." - J.S. Watts, author of the Witchlight series
"Haunting, poignant, playful. Each one is a gem." - Anne Goodwin, author of Matilda Windsor is Coming Home
"Annalisa is really good at bringing her characters to life and some of the stories I felt a chill run through me. A great read." - Hannah Symmons, Echoes in an Empty Room book blog
"I relished the writing in almost every story, I LOVED the imagination of the author..." - Rosh Reviews
"Engaging, playful, and clever! Dashes of horror with dreamlike magic weaved into everyday life, this collection was wonderful. Hooked by the first line for many of them." - Cavak, BookSirens
"The author's beautiful writing style reminded me of the captivating prose of Virginia Woolf. Overall, The Clock in My Mother's House and Other Stories proudly continues the tradition of great British literature." - Nino Lobiladze for Readers’ Favorite