Night of the Living Rez
“Darrell Dennis narrates..[as] the central character, David, tells the first-person stories in a warts-and-all-style that is delivered in a convincing tone and careful cadence…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
AudioFile
Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
An Amazon Editor’s Top Pick
A Boston Globe Pick of Best Summer Books
A Cosmopolitan Pick of Best Books of Summer
Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy.
In twelve striking, luminescent stories, author Morgan Talty-with searing humor, abiding compassion, and deep insight-breathes life into tales of family and a community as they struggle with a painful past and an uncertain future.
A boy unearths a jar that holds an old curse, which sets into motion his family's unraveling; a man, while trying to swindle some pot from a dealer, discovers a friend passed out in the woods, his hair frozen into the snow; a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's projects the past onto her grandson; and two friends, inspired by Antiques Roadshow, attempt to rob the tribal museum for valuable root clubs.
A collection that examines the consequences and merits of inheritance, Night of the Living Rez is an unforgettable portrayal of an Indigenous community and marks the arrival of a standout talent in contemporary fiction.
Praise