SETTING FREE THE KITES

Remember me?

I don’t even want to think about how long it’s been since I last posted here. So much has happened since then. I’ve written another book and a half. I bought a house. I got married. I started a new literary festival. I’ve been busy, man.

Anyway, here I am, back again, which can only mean one thing.

A new book.

Ah, yes. I’m pleased to announce that my new novel, SETTING FREE THE KITES, will be published by Penguin Random House on February 21, 2017.

Here’s the blurb from the back cover:

A powerful coming-of-age story of love, loss, and hope from the author of the #1 Indie Next pick A Good American.

 Robert Carter and Nathan Tilly are unlikely friends. Robert is cautious and reticent; Nathan is curious, daring, and an eternal optimist. Yet when they meet on the first day of school in a coastal Maine town in the 1970s, they form a bond that they come to depend on as tragedy strikes both their families.

 As they each struggle to come to terms with loss, together Robert and Nathan find comfort in unexpected places: the blistering crash of punk records, the mysteries of a long-closed paper mill, and kites soaring high above a windswept beach. And when both boys take summer jobs at the local rundown amusement park, they discover some unexpected truths about family, desire, and the costs of misplaced hope.

Compelling, heart-breaking, and deeply human, Setting Free the Kites is a funny, moving drama that explores the pain and joy of childhood, and the glories of youthful friendship.

So, brace yourselves, people. From hereon out I’ll be posting here for publication news and other nonsense that pops into my head. Do check back if you can… and of course feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers!

Alex