by Jason Mott
First published 2021
A successful African American novelist embarks on a nationwide tour promoting his bestselling book. As he travels from city to city, strange things begin happening. He encounters The Kid, a child who may or may not be real, appearing at readings and signings. Meanwhile, his mind drifts to Soot, a young Black boy growing up in a small rural community. News reports play constantly in hotel rooms and airports, covering a police shooting that has captured national attention. The author struggles to maintain his composure as these three narrative threads weave together. His tour continues, but the boundaries between reality and imagination blur. The identity of the shooting victim remains unclear, as does The Kid's true nature. Family memories surface alongside artistic ambitions and financial pressures. The author must complete his promotional obligations while grappling with questions that have no easy answers. Love between parents and children threads through everything, even as tragedy looms.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, african-american, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: United States
Period: 21st-century
323 pages · Hardcover · Dutton
Content warnings: racism, violence