We Could be Rats

by Emily Austin · 2025

We Could Be Rats is an intimate, emotionally charged novel about two sisters, Sigrid and Margit, navigating the complexities of identity, grief, and the power of imagination. Sigrid, who has resisted the trappings of adulthood and societal conformity, struggles with deep-seated turmoil and the loss of her best friend, Greta, to the opioid epidemic. The narrative, told through a mosaic of perspectives including suicide notes and journal entries, explores the sisters' strained relationship and their shared childhood memories. Set in the stifling town of Drysdale, the story follows the aftermath of Sigrid's suicide attempt, as Margit attempts to understand her sister's hidden pain and the secrets that have shaped their lives. It is a poignant exploration of the roles inherited within a family and the desperate, imaginative ways individuals attempt to survive and be understood.