This debut follows the effects of a mysterious natural disaster, whereby people's shadows - and then, soon after, their memories - disappear. Reality bends to meet the shadowless victims' perceptions in this literary crossover to file between Emily St John Mandell and Justin Cronin.

Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York. Her debut novel, The Book of M, has been featured in The Guardian, io9 Gizmodo, Book Riot, and Elle Canada. She is a winner of the Elizabeth George Foundation's emerging writers grant.

Visit Peng online at pengshepherd.com, and find her on Facebook and Twitter: @pengshepherd.