
Fire Exit
Morgan Talty
(Author)21,000+ Reviews
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Description
From the porch of his home, Charles Lamosway has watched the life he might have had unfold across the river on Maine's Penobscot Reservation. He caught brief moments of his neighbor Elizabeth's life--from the day she came home from the hospital to her early twenties. But there's something deeper and more dangerous than the river that divides him from her and the rest of the tribal community. It's the secret that Elizabeth is his daughter, a secret Charles is no longer willing to keep.
Now, it's been weeks since he's seen Elizabeth, and Charles is worried. As he attempts to hold on to and care for what he can--his home and property; his alcoholic and bighearted friend Bobby; and his mother, Louise, who is slipping deeper into dementia--he becomes increasingly haunted by his past. Forced to confront a lost childhood on the reservation, a love affair cut short, and the death of his beloved stepfather, Fredrick, Charles contends with questions he's long been afraid to ask. Is his secret about Elizabeth his to share? And would his daughter want to know the truth, even if it could cost her everything she's ever known?
Now, it's been weeks since he's seen Elizabeth, and Charles is worried. As he attempts to hold on to and care for what he can--his home and property; his alcoholic and bighearted friend Bobby; and his mother, Louise, who is slipping deeper into dementia--he becomes increasingly haunted by his past. Forced to confront a lost childhood on the reservation, a love affair cut short, and the death of his beloved stepfather, Fredrick, Charles contends with questions he's long been afraid to ask. Is his secret about Elizabeth his to share? And would his daughter want to know the truth, even if it could cost her everything she's ever known?
Product Details
Publisher | Tin House Books |
Publish Date | June 04, 2024 |
Pages | 256 |
Language | English |
Type | |
EAN/UPC | 9781959030553 |
Dimensions | 8.8 X 5.8 X 0.9 inches | 0.9 pounds |
About the Author
Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. His debut short story collection, Night of the Living Rez, won the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Sue Kaufman Prize, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the New England Book Award, the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 Honor, and was a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, and The Story Prize. His writing has appeared in The Georgia Review, Granta, Shenandoah, TriQuarterly, Narrative, Lit Hub, and elsewhere. Talty is an assistant professor of English in Creative Writing and Native American and Contemporary Literature at the University of Maine, Orono, and he is on the faculty at the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing as well as the Institute of American Indian Arts. He lives in Levant, Maine.
Reviews
[A] quietly powerful story about taking care of your tribe, however you find them.-- "Erin Kodicek, An Amazon Best Book of the Year"
A masterpiece. . . .Talty is brilliant and this solidifies him as one of the best living writers today.-- "Debutiful, A Best Debut of the Year"
A tender and unwavering look at the experience of a community that attempts to grapple with its painful past--and its future.-- "TIME, a Best Book of the Year"
A gripping tale of legacy and community, inheritance and shared values and what we owe one another.-- "People Magazine"
Compelling. . . . lays bare the essence of blood quantum-based membership, cultural and historical identity, parental love, and more.-- "Circle News"
A journey about family, culture, and whether we should keep our secrets close.-- "The Manual, A Best Book of 2024"
Closely observed and carefully plotted, with welcome moments of wry humor. . . . Sentences as crisp as the Penobscot River.-- "Down East"
Powerfully crafted.-- "ELLE, A Best Book of 2024"
Exciting.... a fresh take on family secrets.-- "Brooklyn Rail"
Striking.-- "The New Yorker"
Talty introduces omens of tragedy--a gun, house fires & inherited mental illness--that re-emerge in an explosive final act. But the real drama of this movingly considered novel is inside its main character.-- "The Wall Street Journal"
Heart-wrenching. . . . a powerful, moving tale that poses the fundamental question of belonging.-- "The Economist"
Cathartic. . . . healing.-- "The Los Angeles Review of Books"
Devastating, amazing, and such a gut-punch. . . . A powerful novel about relationships, trauma and family. Talty really gets inside his characters. You empathize with them. They make terrible decisions. . . . but everybody does these sort of things to some extent, and you really feel like Charlie is a real person. . . . It's incredible and it will make you ugly cry.-- "Book Riot"
Utterly consuming. With Talty's subtle charm and crystalline prose. . . . Fire Exit absolutely smolders--Tommy Orange
[A] gem of a novel.-- "Amazon, A Best Book of the Year So Far"
Deserves the largest audience possible.-- "The Masters Review"
Does not shy away from blistering questions of belonging and identity, but rather leans into them, in taut, often precise prose.-- "The New York Times Book Review, A Best Book of June"
Exquisite.-- "The Star Tribune"
Gripping. . . . A thoughtful, heartfelt exploration of what it means to be part of a family and a community.-- "Associated Press"
Lacerating.-- "Chicago Tribune, A Best Book of Summer"
Masterful.-- "Chicago Review of Books, A Best Book of June"
Pensive, probing.-- "Vanity Fair"
Talty is a beautiful craftsman.-- "The Washington Post"
Talty's greatest strength as a writer may be the clarity with which he sculpts his characters, who feel incredibly real -- almost achingly so.-- "Bangor Daily News"
Remarkable. . . . An outstanding new voice with a lot to say.-- "NPR"
Affecting. . . . evocative. . . . In the thought-provoking novel Fire Exit, family and identity are so much more than what is in the blood or on a piece of paper.-- "Foreward Reviews"
Beautifully written, sometimes funny, often heartbreaking and hopeful against all odds. Reminiscent of the work of Raymond Carver.-- "Book Page"
Cements his status as a writer to watch.-- "Harper's Bazaar"
Moving.-- "Publishers Weekly"
Talty's writing is a gift of many lifetimes.--Karen Russell
Immersive, thought-provoking. . . . Talty doesn't miss a step in switching from short stories to a novel, and there's no sophomore slump in this second book; indeed, Fire Exit cements his reputation as one of our best young writers.-- "The Portland Press Herald"
Original. . . . Irresistible. . . . Fire Exit is one of those books that will become more meaningful with the days, weeks, and months after closing the cover.-- "Independent Book Review"
In this deliberately paced, moody novel, Talty, himself a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, considers questions of identity.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Tender and heartbreaking. . . . sweetened with touches of humor, the novel raises important questions about human connection and belonging.-- "Booklist, Starred Review"
Utterly absorbing. . . . compassionately addresses tough choices in matters of family and love.-- "Shelf Awareness"
Absolutely soars. . . . you will come out of this book better than you were going in.-- "Barnes & Noble, A Most Anticipated Debut of 2024"
Gorgeous. . . . I loved it.--Brandon Taylor
A masterpiece. . . .Talty is brilliant and this solidifies him as one of the best living writers today.-- "Debutiful, A Best Debut of the Year"
A tender and unwavering look at the experience of a community that attempts to grapple with its painful past--and its future.-- "TIME, a Best Book of the Year"
A gripping tale of legacy and community, inheritance and shared values and what we owe one another.-- "People Magazine"
Compelling. . . . lays bare the essence of blood quantum-based membership, cultural and historical identity, parental love, and more.-- "Circle News"
A journey about family, culture, and whether we should keep our secrets close.-- "The Manual, A Best Book of 2024"
Closely observed and carefully plotted, with welcome moments of wry humor. . . . Sentences as crisp as the Penobscot River.-- "Down East"
Powerfully crafted.-- "ELLE, A Best Book of 2024"
Exciting.... a fresh take on family secrets.-- "Brooklyn Rail"
Striking.-- "The New Yorker"
Talty introduces omens of tragedy--a gun, house fires & inherited mental illness--that re-emerge in an explosive final act. But the real drama of this movingly considered novel is inside its main character.-- "The Wall Street Journal"
Heart-wrenching. . . . a powerful, moving tale that poses the fundamental question of belonging.-- "The Economist"
Cathartic. . . . healing.-- "The Los Angeles Review of Books"
Devastating, amazing, and such a gut-punch. . . . A powerful novel about relationships, trauma and family. Talty really gets inside his characters. You empathize with them. They make terrible decisions. . . . but everybody does these sort of things to some extent, and you really feel like Charlie is a real person. . . . It's incredible and it will make you ugly cry.-- "Book Riot"
Utterly consuming. With Talty's subtle charm and crystalline prose. . . . Fire Exit absolutely smolders--Tommy Orange
[A] gem of a novel.-- "Amazon, A Best Book of the Year So Far"
Deserves the largest audience possible.-- "The Masters Review"
Does not shy away from blistering questions of belonging and identity, but rather leans into them, in taut, often precise prose.-- "The New York Times Book Review, A Best Book of June"
Exquisite.-- "The Star Tribune"
Gripping. . . . A thoughtful, heartfelt exploration of what it means to be part of a family and a community.-- "Associated Press"
Lacerating.-- "Chicago Tribune, A Best Book of Summer"
Masterful.-- "Chicago Review of Books, A Best Book of June"
Pensive, probing.-- "Vanity Fair"
Talty is a beautiful craftsman.-- "The Washington Post"
Talty's greatest strength as a writer may be the clarity with which he sculpts his characters, who feel incredibly real -- almost achingly so.-- "Bangor Daily News"
Remarkable. . . . An outstanding new voice with a lot to say.-- "NPR"
Affecting. . . . evocative. . . . In the thought-provoking novel Fire Exit, family and identity are so much more than what is in the blood or on a piece of paper.-- "Foreward Reviews"
Beautifully written, sometimes funny, often heartbreaking and hopeful against all odds. Reminiscent of the work of Raymond Carver.-- "Book Page"
Cements his status as a writer to watch.-- "Harper's Bazaar"
Moving.-- "Publishers Weekly"
Talty's writing is a gift of many lifetimes.--Karen Russell
Immersive, thought-provoking. . . . Talty doesn't miss a step in switching from short stories to a novel, and there's no sophomore slump in this second book; indeed, Fire Exit cements his reputation as one of our best young writers.-- "The Portland Press Herald"
Original. . . . Irresistible. . . . Fire Exit is one of those books that will become more meaningful with the days, weeks, and months after closing the cover.-- "Independent Book Review"
In this deliberately paced, moody novel, Talty, himself a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, considers questions of identity.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
Tender and heartbreaking. . . . sweetened with touches of humor, the novel raises important questions about human connection and belonging.-- "Booklist, Starred Review"
Utterly absorbing. . . . compassionately addresses tough choices in matters of family and love.-- "Shelf Awareness"
Absolutely soars. . . . you will come out of this book better than you were going in.-- "Barnes & Noble, A Most Anticipated Debut of 2024"
Gorgeous. . . . I loved it.--Brandon Taylor
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