Matrona lives in an isolated village, where her life is centered on pleasing her parents. She's diligent in her chores and has agreed to marry a man of their choosing. But a visit to Slava, the local tradesman, threatens to upend her entire life. Entering his empty house, Matrona discovers a strange collection of painted nesting dolls -- one for every villager. Fascinated, she can't resist the urge to open the doll with her father's face. But...

Contains horror stories from twenty countries on five continents, from Brazil to Iceland to Japan. This volume introduces readers to award-winning authors whose work was previously unknown in America.