Security comes at a price; both beauty and danger are found in selflessly putting others’ wellbeing ahead of our own. Sometimes, the price we pay is worth it, but sometimes, the cost is simply too much, and we find ourselves, like Rayshell Clapper‘s warm-blooded Rabbit or bald-headed Vulture, sacrificed on the alter of empathy. Clapper’s hauntingly heartbreaking fables remind us that every choice, every moment of life, comes with a consequence, and love is the price we pay. These vivid tales, with their rich imagery and layered characters, cause us to pause and consider the cost of the choices we make.

–Jessica Isaacs, author of Deep August, Poet, Oklahoma Book Award winner, and English Professor

In Rayshell Clapper’s capable hands, the fable makes a comeback, introducing Mosquito, Snake, Mother Cardinal and a host of other animal kingdom denizens to instruct us about their world and ours. “We all play our part,” as her Vulture reminds. Sadness and strife live here, but in Clapper’s embracing vision there is also room—and welcome—for charity and hope.

–Kat Meads, author of Little Pockets of Alarm

The Prices We Pay is a delightful collection of stories to savor, delight in, and, as with the very best fables, learn from. Rayshell Clapper offers up pleasure and wisdom with this marvelous gathering of tales.

–Rilla Askew, author of Strange Business and Kind of Kin