First published 1999
Elizabeth steps out into New York City for what becomes a single day and night of urban wandering. The streets pull her forward through encounters that range from mundane to bizarre. Each person she meets seems slightly off kilter, reflecting the city's own precarious energy. The sidewalks and subway cars become stages for small dramas and strange conversations. Elizabeth moves through neighborhoods where anything might happen next. The city feels both familiar and threatening, a place where ordinary life tilts toward the absurd. Her journey reveals how isolation persists even in crowds, how connection remains elusive even in constant contact with others. The hours accumulate as Elizabeth discovers what it means to be unmoored in a place that never stops moving.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, slice-of-life
Setting: New York City
Period: 21st-century
Paperback · Vintage