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The summer’s most anticipated books from Maine writers — Portland Press Herald

After stunning readers two years ago with his story collection “Night of the Living Rez,” Morgan Talty returns with “Fire Exit,” his debut novel.

Readers’ Most Anticipated Summer Books — Goodreads

Morgan Talty, author of the acclaimed short story collection Night of the Living Rez, returns with a debut novel about families and legacies. Charles Lamosway lives across the river from Maine’s Penobscot Reservation, separated from his past by painful secrets. Who gets to know the truth? Who gets to tell it?

The June 2024 Indie Next List Preview — American Booksellers Association

“A gorgeous and all-consuming novel, Fire Exit lays bare the consequences of one man’s decisions, and his resolve to reconcile his past by taking care of his aging mother and seeking a connection with his unknown daughter. Unforgettable.”

—Olivia Marchese, Author's Note, Medina, NY

The Best Books of 2024 — Harper’s Bazaar

After winning widespread acclaim for Night of the Living Rez, his debut collection of short stories, Talty is back with a first novel that cements his status as a writer to watch.

The Best Books of Spring 2024, According to Indie Booksellers — Electric Lit

“This is a book to be devoured, not read.” — Melissa Sagendorph, Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Fire Exit: A melancholy journey through one man’s damaged past — Kirkus Reviews

In this deliberately paced, moody novel, Talty, himself a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, considers questions of identity, as Charles observes that “I knew and still know what it was like to both not belong and belong…”

Most Anticipated: The Great Spring 2024 Preview — The Millions

Talty, whose gritty story collection Night of the Living Rez was garlanded with awards, weighs the concept of blood quantum—a measure that federally recognized tribes often use to determine Indigenous membership—in his debut novel.

Tommy Orange Refuses to Be Your Tour Guide to Native Life — Esquire

The author of Wandering Stars goes deep with Esquire on addiction, telling true stories through fiction, and writing against "literary tourism."

10 New Books by Indigenous Authors — Publishers Weekly

“Fire Exit, [Talty’s] first novel, explores blood quantum, inheritance, and belonging from the perspective of a white man whose Native girlfriend decides to name a different man as their daughter’s father so she can be enrolled in the Penobscot Nation.

Most Anticipated Debuts 2024 — Barnes & Noble

“…Morgan Talty returns with his debut novel that absolutely soars.”