The Best Debut Books of 2022 — Debutiful
“Talty is a maestro of the short story. Each of the linked pieces is tender, chock full of memorable characters and moments, and paced to perfection.”
Read More20 NEW MUST-READ SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS — Book Riot
These dark but honest stories follow a troubled family dealing with issues of grief, depression, substance abuse, domestic violence, and more. But these stories are filled with hope and magic as well.
Read MoreNight of the Living Rez Looks at Penobscot Identity in the 21st Century — DownEast
Morgan Talty’s debut collection of stories has connected with a wider audience than he dared imagine.
Read MoreThe New York Times Book Review: Night of the Living Rez
"With 'Night of the Living Rez,' Talty has assured himself a spot in the canon of great Native American literature...[He] forms a rich and vast picture of what it is to be alive, with stunning clarity, empathy and unwavering honesty." —Amil Niaz
Read MorePoets & Writers: Morgan Talty’s Night of the Living Rez named a First Fiction
In their twenty-second annual First Fiction round-up, Poets & Writers select Morgan Talty as one of five First Fiction. He is introduced by National Book Award Finalist Brandon Hobson: “While the stories are tragic, sad, and at times even humorous, they are perhaps best described by the title of the final story, ‘The Name Means Thunder.’ Their unpredictability, like a thunderstorm, is what makes them extraordinary.”
Read MoreLitHub: The Ultimate Summer 2022 Reading List
Night of the Living Rez the fifth most frequently cited book for “best of” lists in 2022
Read MoreThe 20 Best Books of Summer 2022
“An astounding new voice arrives in this debut collection of twelve linked stories, all set in the Panawahpskek (Penobscot) Nation of Maine…Night of the Living Rez is proof that Talty is an important new writer to watch.”
Read MoreThe New York Times: What Should I Read This Summer?
If you liked Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine, watch for Night of the Living Rez.
“These 12 linked stories are set in a Native community in Maine, where Talty grew up as a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation. His debut collection, full of surprising drama, offers a fresh view of the precarious lives of marginalized people in the 21st century.”
Read More24 books that you should read this summer, according to local experts
Another collection of short stories that shouldn’t be missed is this one, set in a Native community in Maine, according to Flynn. The stories center on a boy and his family and friends over the decades of living on and off “the rez.” “It talks about family and tradition and purpose,” Flynn said. “And also the test of the Native community in the face of modernity and all of that … It’s really well written and beautiful.”
Read MoreThe Best Summer Beach Reads of 2022
“This inspired debut jumps back and forth in time, revealing snapshots of the life of a young Penobscot man growing up on a reservation in Maine. Talty, whose identity mirrors that of the main character, David, takes readers inside the joys and despairs, the issues of addiction, economic hardship, and lack of opportunity of both a single family and their community as the stories slowly reveal the early tragedy and close family ties that define the life of one Native man.”
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