You can pre-order Fire Exit on On Amazon ahead of title release in October,1st, 2024:
In “Fire Exit,” a forthcoming novel by Morgan Talty, the story unfolds on the edge of the Penobscot reservation in Maine, where Charles, a solitary white man, lives by the river. His days are spent doing odd jobs and caring for his depressive mother, but his thoughts are often drawn across the water to a house that holds a significant secret: his half-Native daughter, Elizabeth, lives there, unaware of his existence. Her paternity has been concealed to protect her tribal status, but Charles watches helplessly as the cracks in Elizabeth’s seemingly stable life begin to show, mirroring the struggles of his own mother.
Charles believes that revealing the truth about his connection to Elizabeth will bring liberation and healing to them all. However, this revelation threatens to unravel the very fabric of their lives.
“Fire Exit” goes deep into the complexities of family and blood ties, exploring how kinship can fracture, re-form, and endure. Written in beautifully dignified prose, the novel examines the delicate balance between truth and the potential destruction it can bring, ultimately showing how our connections shape and define us, no matter how hidden or painful they may be.
About Morgan Talty
Morgan Talty is a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation where he grew up. His story collection Night of the Living Rez is forthcoming from Tin House Books (July 5th, 2022), and his work has appeared in Granta, The Georgia Review, Shenandoah, TriQuarterly, Narrative Magazine, LitHub, and elsewhere. A winner of the 2021 Narrative Prize, Talty’s work has been supported by the Elizabeth George Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts (2022). Talty teaches courses in both English and Native American Studies, and he is on the faculty at the Stonecoast MFA in creative writing as well as the Institute of American Indian Arts. Talty is also a Prose Editor at The Massachusetts Review. He lives in Levant, Maine.
Review
‘Utterly consuming … spellbinding and quietly devastating … a sober reckoning with what love can and cannot do, what healing is and is not possible in our families. The novel absolutely smoulders.’ Tommy Orange– Author-There There -Pulitzer Prize Finalist & American Book Award
“Morgan Talty’s upcoming novel “Fire Exit” is a masterful exploration of the complexities of family ties and the hidden truths that can both bind and unravel us. Set against the serene yet turbulent backdrop of the Penobscot reservation in Maine, the novel weaves the lives of its characters with quiet dignity and profound depth.” Rich Man Magazine
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