Well

The “astonishingly sharp and satisfying” debut novel follows the denizens of a working-class Seattle suburb through the trials of modern life (The Washington Post).  Well marks the auspicious debut of a singular and unflinching voice and vision. Set primarily among the working-class of a Seattle suburb called Federal Way, this highly original novel—told in the form of interlinked short stories—presents the lives of a large cast of characters, all lost in various modes of darkness and despair. Whether struggling for connection or heartbreakingly alone, they grapple with the afflictions of modern life as well as their own compulsions. As if trapped at the bottom of a well, they struggle to glimpse the light that they know is there, showing the way to their salvation.   They search in sex, in drugs and in violence; in visions of Apocalypse and Creation, dreams of angels and killers and local sports championships. Compact, finely wrought, and powerfully charged, Well ultimately rises toward the light, in a finale that affirms the human capacity for hope.