by Ethan Canin
First published 2016
Milo Andret grows up isolated in the Michigan woods during the 1950s, barely aware of his extraordinary mathematical abilities. His acceptance to U.C. Berkeley changes everything. California in the 1970s opens new worlds of ambition and temptation. Milo begins groundbreaking research that will establish his reputation. He encounters a woman who captivates him and a competitor who becomes his lifelong adversary. But Milo's exceptional mind carries a destructive force he cannot control. His brilliance feeds on darkness that grows stronger with each success. The same gift that makes him legendary begins to consume his research, poison his relationships with his children, and tear apart everything he has built. Milo must face the terrible price of genius.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, academic
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Berkeley, California, Michigan
Period: 1950s, 1970s
558 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: mental-illness