First published 1994
Mickey Acuña takes a room at a YMCA while he waits for a check to arrive. The building houses men down on their luck, isolated souls who drift through the Southwest with nowhere else to go. Mickey becomes a focal point for these residents who see something in him that draws their attention. The cramped quarters and shared spaces create an atmosphere where small interactions carry weight. As Mickey navigates life among these forgotten men, tensions build toward a moment that will shatter the fragile community. The story explores what happens when people with little left to lose find themselves thrown together, and how quickly circumstances can turn violent. This debut novel examines the bonds that form between strangers and the desperation that drives men to the margins of society.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Southwest, YMCA
Period: 21st-century
218 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Pr
Content warnings: violence