Editorial Content for Atavists: Stories
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
An atavist is generally known as a genetic characteristic that reappears after disappearing for at least a few generations. Lydia Millet’s latest book considers the concept from a social and psychological perspective where particular traits, such as optimism and creativity, reverse or change the thinking and behavior of those exhibiting the traits. Read More
Teaser
The word atavism, coined by a botanist and popularized by a criminologist, refers to the resurfacing of a primitive evolutionary trait or urge in a modern being. This inventive collection from Lydia Millet offers overlapping tales of urges ranging from rage to jealousy to yearning. The titular atavists include an underachieving, bewildered young bartender; a middle-aged mother convinced that her gentle son-in-law is fixated on geriatric porn; a bodybuilder with an incel’s fantasy life; an arrogant academic accused of plagiarism; and an empty-nester dad determined to host refugees in a tiny house in his backyard. As they pick away at the splitting seams in American culture, Millet’s characters shimmer with the sense of powerlessness we share in an era of mass overwhelm.
Promo
The word atavism, coined by a botanist and popularized by a criminologist, refers to the resurfacing of a primitive evolutionary trait or urge in a modern being. This inventive collection from Lydia Millet offers overlapping tales of urges ranging from rage to jealousy to yearning. The titular atavists include an underachieving, bewildered young bartender; a middle-aged mother convinced that her gentle son-in-law is fixated on geriatric porn; a bodybuilder with an incel’s fantasy life; an arrogant academic accused of plagiarism; and an empty-nester dad determined to host refugees in a tiny house in his backyard. As they pick away at the splitting seams in American culture, Millet’s characters shimmer with the sense of powerlessness we share in an era of mass overwhelm.
About the Book
A fast-moving, heartbreaking collection of short fiction from “the American writer with the funniest, wisest grasp on how we fool ourselves” (Chicago Tribune).
The word atavism, coined by a botanist and popularized by a criminologist, refers to the resurfacing of a primitive evolutionary trait or urge in a modern being. This inventive collection from Lydia Millet offers overlapping tales of urges ranging from rage to jealousy to yearning --- a fluent triumph of storytelling, rich in ideas and emotions both petty and grand.
The titular atavists include an underachieving, bewildered young bartender; a middle-aged mother convinced her gentle son-in-law is fixated on geriatric porn; a bodybuilder with an incel’s fantasy life; an arrogant academic accused of plagiarism; and an empty-nester dad determined to host refugees in a tiny house in his backyard.
As they pick away at the splitting seams in American culture, Millet’s characters shimmer with the sense of powerlessness we share in an era of mass overwhelm. A beautician in a waxing salon faces a sudden resurgence of grief in the midst of a bikini Brazilian; a couple sets up a camera to find out who’s been slipping homophobic letters into their mailbox; a jilted urban planner stalks a man she met on a dating app.
In its rich warp and weft of humiliations and human error, ATAVISTS returns to the trenchant, playful social commentary that made A CHILDREN'S BIBLE a runaway hit. In these stories sharp observations of middle-class mores and sanctimony give way to moments of raw exposure and longing: ATAVISTS performs an uncanny fictional magic, full of revelation but also hilarious, unpretentious and warm.
Audiobook available; read by Hillary Huber, Devon Sorvari, Patrick Zeller and Pete Cross
Editorial Content for The Bright Years
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
While THE BRIGHT YEARS has subject matter that on the surface might seem grim --- death, loss, addiction --- debut novelist Sarah Damoff creates an uplifting story about people who choose to love in spite of failings, problems, or what might seem to be insurmountable issues. Ultimately, this book is filled with hope and a promise that the human soul is capable of unlimited love. Read More
Teaser
Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall. When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide if she can open up to love for them --- or herself --- while there’s still time.
Promo
Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall. When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide if she can open up to love for them --- or herself --- while there’s still time.
About the Book
One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.
Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.
When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide if she can open up to love for them --- or herself --- while there’s still time.
Told from three intimate points of view, THE BRIGHT YEARS is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.
Audiobook available; read by Ferdelle Capistrano, Joy Osmanski and Lee Osorio
Editorial Content for The Pretender
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
When it come to historical eras in fiction, few get a better showing than the Tudor period. Depending on your taste, you can lose yourself in a regal romance (Philippa Gregory), a historical mystery (C.J. Samson’s Shardlake series), quirky, alternate historical fantasy (MY LADY JANE), or dense tales of ambition and intrigue (Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy), just to name a few. But none are quite like THE PRETENDER, Jo Harkin’s sad and funny tale of Lambert Simnel, a young boy who may have been the heir to the Tudor throne. Read More
Teaser
In 1480, the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends John Collan’s life forever. John is not John Collan, the son of Will Collan, but Lambert Simnel, the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence. Lambert has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown --- and because Richard III has a habit of making his nephews disappear. He is removed from his humble origins and sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir. There he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed daughter of his Irish patrons, who is imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Together Lambert and Joan form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.
Promo
In 1480, the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends John Collan’s life forever. John is not John Collan, the son of Will Collan, but Lambert Simnel, the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence. Lambert has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown --- and because Richard III has a habit of making his nephews disappear. He is removed from his humble origins and sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir. There he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed daughter of his Irish patrons, who is imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Together Lambert and Joan form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.
About the Book
Set in the tumultuous period of the Tudors' ascent, THE PRETENDER brings to life the little-known story of Lambert Simnel.
From humble beginnings as a peasant boy, Lambert's life takes an astonishing turn when, at just 10 years old, he becomes a claimant to the English throne as one of the last of the Plantagenet line. As Lambert navigates the treacherous waters of royal intrigue and court life, complex themes of identity, power and destiny unfold, weaving a tapestry of ambition and survival in a world where the stakes couldn't be higher.
In 1480, John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on his way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan but Lambert Simnel, the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, and has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown --- and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews.
Removed from his humble origins and sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, Lambert is put into play by his masters. He learns the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available to her --- marry or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become king or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.
Inspired by a footnote to history --- the true story of the little-known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII --- THE PRETENDER is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from fifteenth-century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.
Audiobook available, read by John Hollingworth
Editorial Content for When the Wolf Comes Home
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
In the opening to WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME, Nat Cassidy shows off his performing skills and cagey sense of humor by discussing his feelings about “content warnings” prior to the start of a book. He describes the subject matter of this novel as being “specifically about the slippery nature of fear and how important it is to find healthy ways to live with it.” Read More
Teaser
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives. As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, Jess slowly comes to a horrifying understanding of the butchery that follows them --- the boy can turn his every fear into reality. And when the wolf finally comes home, no one will be spared.
Promo
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives. As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, Jess slowly comes to a horrifying understanding of the butchery that follows them --- the boy can turn his every fear into reality. And when the wolf finally comes home, no one will be spared.
About the Book
Nat Cassidy, author of the acclaimed horror MARY, returns with WHEN THE WOLF COMES HOME, an unabashed, adrenaline-fueled pop horror thriller where the darkest fears can become reality.
One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives.
As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, Jess slowly comes to a horrifying understanding of the butchery that follows them --- the boy can turn his every fear into reality.
And when the wolf finally comes home, no one will be spared.
Audiobook available, read by Helen Laser
Editorial Content for Fair Play
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
On the surface, Louise Hegarty’s debut plays out like a classic murder mystery that pays deep homage to similar novels from the early 20th century. Under the surface, something completely different is happening. Hegarty knows that to make an impact in this genre, she will need to do something unique, and FAIR PLAY certainly delivers on that front. Read More
Teaser
A group of friends gather at an Airbnb on New Year’s Eve. It is Benjamin’s birthday, and his sister, Abigail, is throwing him a jazz-age Murder Mystery-themed party. As the night plays out, champagne is drunk, hors d’oeuvres consumed and relationships forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses the wrong person; someone else’s heart is broken. In the morning, all of them wake up --- except Benjamin. As Abigail attempts to wrap her mind around her brother’s death, an eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin's killer. In this mansion, suddenly complete with a butler, gardener and housekeeper, everyone is a suspect, and nothing is quite as it seems. Will the culprit be revealed? And how can Abigail piece herself back together in the wake of this loss?
Promo
A group of friends gather at an Airbnb on New Year’s Eve. It is Benjamin’s birthday, and his sister, Abigail, is throwing him a jazz-age Murder Mystery-themed party. As the night plays out, champagne is drunk, hors d’oeuvres consumed and relationships forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses the wrong person; someone else’s heart is broken. In the morning, all of them wake up --- except Benjamin. As Abigail attempts to wrap her mind around her brother’s death, an eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin's killer. In this mansion, suddenly complete with a butler, gardener and housekeeper, everyone is a suspect, and nothing is quite as it seems. Will the culprit be revealed? And how can Abigail piece herself back together in the wake of this loss?
About the Book
For fans of Anthony Horowitz and Lucy Foley, a wonderfully original, genre-breaking literary debut from Ireland that’s an homage to the brilliant detective novels of the early 20th century, a twisty modern murder mystery, and a searing exploration of grief and loss.
A group of friends gather at an Airbnb on New Year’s Eve. It is Benjamin’s birthday, and his sister, Abigail, is throwing him a jazz-age Murder Mystery-themed party. As the night plays out, champagne is drunk, hors d’oeuvres consumed and relationships forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses the wrong person; someone else’s heart is broken.
In the morning, all of them wake up --- except Benjamin.
As Abigail attempts to wrap her mind around her brother’s death, an eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin's killer. In this mansion, suddenly complete with a butler, gardener and housekeeper, everyone is a suspect and nothing is quite as it seems.
Will the culprit be revealed? And how can Abigail, now alone, piece herself back together in the wake of this loss?
Gripping and playful, sharp and profoundly moving, FAIR PLAY plumbs the depths of the human heart while subverting one of our most popular genres.
Audiobook available, read by Andrew Wincott and Aoife McMahon