Meet Samuel: stalled writer, bored teacher at a local college, obsessive player of online video games. He hasn't seen his mother, Faye, in decades, not since she abandoned her family when he was a boy. Now she has suddenly reappeared, having committed an absurd politically motivated crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the Internet, and inflames a divided America. The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl who married her high-school sweetheart. Which version of his mother is true? Two facts are certain: she's facing some serious charges, and she needs Samuel's help. As Samuel begins to excavate his mother's - and his country's - history, the story moves from the rural Midwest of the 1960s, to New York City during Occupy Wall Street, back to Chicago in 1968 and, finally, to wartime Norway, home of the mysterious Nix. Samuel will unexpectedly find that he has to rethink everything he ever knew about his mother - a woman with an epic story of her own, a story she has kept hidden from the world.
Nathan Hill Books
Nathan Hill is a prose stylist whose short fiction has been featured in numerous prestigious literary journals, earning him accolades. Hailing from Iowa, his writing is characterized by a profound understanding of human nature and the complexities of modern life. His debut novel stands as a significant contribution to contemporary American letters, delving into universal themes of identity, the search for meaning, and intergenerational connection. Hill's prose is both incisive and empathetic, offering readers an engaging and thought-provoking experience.
Wellness
- 624 pages
- 22 hours of reading
A witty and poignant novel about marriage, middle age, tech-obsessed health culture and the bonds that keep people togetherWhen Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the '90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago's thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine. For the first time Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize one another, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other.
Lieben in modernen Zeiten – kühn, bewegend, klug Als Jack and Elizabeth 1993 ein Paar werden, spricht alles gegen sie. Doch der junge Fotograf mit den bäuerlichen Wurzeln und die Psychologiestudentin aus gutem Hause heiraten – und erleben in der vibrierenden Kunstszene Chicagos aufregende erste Jahre. Und schließlich müssen sich diese nicht mehr ganz so jungen Träumer den Dämonen ihrer Vergangenheit stellen, wenn sie nicht das Wertvollste verlieren wollen: einander. Von den Absurditäten moderner Technologie bis zur perfekten Kindererziehung legt Nathan Hill unser Leben bloß und stößt auf tiefe Wahrheiten über Liebe, Intimität und Nähe. »Ein großartiger Erzähler. Nathan Hills Prosa ist voller Esprit und Tiefe.« The Guardian »Der beste neue literarische Autor in Amerika.« John Irving »Die mitreißende und bewegende Erkundung einer modernen Ehe, beeindruckend in ihrer Universalität und Zärtlichkeit.« Brit Bennett »Kühn, unerhört fesselnd, von messerscharfem Verstand und doch herzzerreißend – ›Wellness‹ ist all das und noch viel mehr.« Richard Russo