The Girl in the Pipes

The Girl in the Pipes is a visceral, feminist exploration of what happens when escape feels more humane than survival.

A haunting and fiercely original novel, The Girl in the Pipes pulls readers into a surreal, emotionally charged world that lingers long after the final page. Megan Mary Moore crafts a voice that is both raw and hypnotic, blending psychological depth with eerie, unforgettable imagery. Through pain, resilience, and unsettling mystery, this story grips you with its bold honesty and haunting beauty. It's the kind of book that doesn't just tell a story. It seeps into your bones and refuses to let go." - Jessica Fahey, Manhattan Book Review

Marley is recovering from a devastating car accident. After declining a surgery that would have ensured a faster recovery at the cost of her fertility, she is left immobile, isolated, and increasingly estranged from her own body. Confined to her bed and dependent on others, Marley begins to hear a voice in her bathroom, gentle, persuasive, and persistent, beckoning her to slip down the drain and abandon the body that has betrayed her.

Dani is a plus-sized influencer whose career depends on visibility and relatability. As illness causes her to lose weight without meaning to, she discovers that her audience, her income, and her sense of self are disappearing along with her body. When a voice from her kitchen sink offers understanding, companionship, and a way out of the relentless performance of embodiment, Dani listens.

Though they never meet, both women are navigating parallel crises shaped by cultural expectations, medical control, and the relentless demand to be palatable. As the voices grow louder and the pull toward disappearance intensifies, Marley and Dani are forced to confront a terrifying realization: in a world that treats women's bodies as problems to be solved, the fantasy of having no body at all can feel like freedom.

Unapologetically visceral and emotionally exacting, The Girl in the Pipes is a haunting meditation on illness, fertility, desirability, and the cost of being seen.

Megan Mary Moore holds an MFA in poetry from Miami University. She is the author of the poetry collection To Daughter a Devil (Unsolicited Press, 2023). She spends her time in Cincinnati and Toronto reading and writing about things that scare her.