by Leni Zumas
First published 2025
A former punk singer never planned to take care of anyone. Now she runs The House, a community on a bluff where elderly and disabled residents live with young people who work for rent. The arrangement creates bonds that feel like family, complete with painful fights and sudden bursts of laughter. Then Nola arrives on the back porch with her little cousin James. Both children need shelter, but the authorities are hunting for them. The House already struggles to pay its bills, and harboring runaways could destroy everything. The residents must decide whether their haven can survive contact with the outside world. As officials close in, the community faces a test that will determine if their experiment in mutual care can endure when it matters most.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, social-issues, family-drama
Vibes: character-driven, emotionally-complex, intimate, tension-filled, thought-provoking
Tropes: community-bonds, forced-proximity, found-family
Setting: The House, bluff
Period: contemporary
224 pages · Hardcover · Algonquin Books
Content warnings: child-abuse