Phillips, Julia

For those who enjoy reflecting on peculiar existential sagas, this is not to be missed.

By focusing on the characters’ relationships with one another, Phillips brings complicated, very human characters to life in a tale filled with sadness. Literary fiction readers looking for complicated family stories will be immersed in the novel’s haunting tragedy.

Phillips, a Fulbright fellow whose work has appeared in Slate and the Atlantic, has written a knock-out novel that combines literary heft with a propulsive plot. [See Prepub Alert, 12/3/18.]