Darkly comic and startlingly honest, this novel follows the lives of an extended family over one increasingly desperate week. Manda is a 38-year-old, tough, sarcastic woman who has yet to make peace with the town she was brought to as a teenager after her parents' messy divorce. Her mother is estranged, her father is ill, her brother and stepbrother are emotionally distant and growing restless, and all the while, her tight-lipped and depressed husband is pressing her to have a baby. Full of barbed dialogue and macabre, deadpan descriptions of family dynamics and the awkward social dances performed daily, this novel depicts those who feel permanently out of place. Also included is a new section filled with insights into the book and bonus work from the author.

Nathan Whitlock’s writing has appeared in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Maisonneuve, Canadian Notes & Queries, Geist, Best Canadian Essays, and elsewhere. He grew up in the Ottawa Valley and currently lives in Toronto, ON.