First published 2019
Two middle school cellists practice their scales and compete for first chair when gunshots shatter their ordinary Tuesday. Years pass before they understand how that day of violence changed everything about their futures. In another story, a young girl moves between Hebrew school and regular classes, discovering that both worlds contain unexpected cruelty and moments of clarity. An unemployed reporter faces three increasingly bizarre job interviews as her savings dwindle and her grip on reality loosens. A woman running for local office watches her campaign unravel as forces beyond her control expose the gap between her public promises and private compromises. These characters navigate an America where violence intrudes without warning, where harassment has become routine, where the emotional cost of constant vigilance weighs on everyone. Bender examines how ordinary people adapt when their safe spaces disappear and their assumptions about fairness crumble.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Paperback · Catapult
Content warnings: violence