by James Kelman
First published 2005
Jeremiah Brown clutches a nonrefundable ticket to Glasgow as he wanders through bars south of Rapid City on his last night in America. The Scottish immigrant has spent twelve years drifting across the United States, moving constantly from coast to coast, searching for better fortune that never arrives. Now in his early thirties, he faces a choice between staying in the country that has offered him little or returning to Scotland to see his mother. The journey home would take him through Seattle, Canada, Iceland, and England. As Jeremiah drinks his way through the night, losing track of how many beers he has consumed, he draws people toward him and pushes them away in equal measure. Memories surface unbidden while a growing sense of dread settles over him. His restlessness and inability to decide mirror the broader uncertainty of post-9/11 America, where even longtime residents feel unmoored and suspicious.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, restlessness
Setting: America, Canada, England, Glasgow, Iceland, Rapid City, Scotland, Seattle
Period: 21st-century
Audio CD
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse