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?
Product Details
Price
$28.95
$26.92
Publisher
Tin House Books
Publish Date
June 04, 2024
Pages
256
Dimensions
5.82 X 8.82 X 0.94 inches | 0.87 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781959030553
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. He is the author most recently of the debut novel Fire Exit. 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 in Fiction, 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, Literary 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
Gorgeous. . . . I loved it.--Brandon Taylor
Absolutely soars. . . . you will come out of this book better than you were going in.-- "Barnes & Noble, A Most Anticipated Debut of 2024"
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"
Spellbinding. . . . a compassionate portrait of a man who is desperate to understand who he is and where he came from.-- "TIME, a Best Book of Summer"
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"
Cements his status as a writer to watch.-- "Harper's Bazaar"
Beautifully written, sometimes funny, often heartbreaking and hopeful against all odds. Reminiscent of the work of Raymond Carver.-- "Book Page"
Moving.-- "Publishers Weekly"
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"
Talty's writing is a gift of many lifetimes.--Karen Russell
Remarkable. . . . An outstanding new voice with a lot to say.-- "NPR"
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"
Gripping. . . . A thoughtful, heartfelt exploration of what it means to be part of a family and a community.-- "Associated Press"
Talty is a beautiful craftsman.-- "The Washington Post"
Masterful.-- "Chicago Review of Books, A Best Book of June"
Lacerating.-- "Chicago Tribune, A Best Book of Summer"
Pensive, probing.-- "Vanity Fair"
Powerfully crafted.-- "ELLE, A Best Books of Summer"
[A] gem of a novel.-- "Amazon, A Best Book of the Year So Far"
Exquisite.-- "The Star Tribune"
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"
Deserves the largest audience possible.-- "The Masters Review"
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
Absolutely soars. . . . you will come out of this book better than you were going in.-- "Barnes & Noble, A Most Anticipated Debut of 2024"
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"
Spellbinding. . . . a compassionate portrait of a man who is desperate to understand who he is and where he came from.-- "TIME, a Best Book of Summer"
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"
Cements his status as a writer to watch.-- "Harper's Bazaar"
Beautifully written, sometimes funny, often heartbreaking and hopeful against all odds. Reminiscent of the work of Raymond Carver.-- "Book Page"
Moving.-- "Publishers Weekly"
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"
Talty's writing is a gift of many lifetimes.--Karen Russell
Remarkable. . . . An outstanding new voice with a lot to say.-- "NPR"
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"
Gripping. . . . A thoughtful, heartfelt exploration of what it means to be part of a family and a community.-- "Associated Press"
Talty is a beautiful craftsman.-- "The Washington Post"
Masterful.-- "Chicago Review of Books, A Best Book of June"
Lacerating.-- "Chicago Tribune, A Best Book of Summer"
Pensive, probing.-- "Vanity Fair"
Powerfully crafted.-- "ELLE, A Best Books of Summer"
[A] gem of a novel.-- "Amazon, A Best Book of the Year So Far"
Exquisite.-- "The Star Tribune"
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"
Deserves the largest audience possible.-- "The Masters Review"
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
