Fulfillment by Lee Cole is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that explores family, ambition, and the elusive nature of success in contemporary America. I previously enjoyed Lee Cole's debut Groundskeeping and he now returns with a Kentucky-set family drama that follows two half-brothers—Emmett and Joel—who reunite under strained circumstances. Emmett, a struggling warehouse worker at a massive fulfillment center, harbors dreams of becoming a screenwriter but has yet to complete a script. Joel, a successful academic, moves back home with his wife Alice as their marriage begins to unravel. Their reunion sparks old tensions, forcing them to confront their past, their choices, and the question of what it truly means to be fulfilled.

Cole’s writing is sharp, observant, and deeply introspective, offering a nuanced exploration of class, privilege, and sibling rivalry. The novel’s alternating perspectives between Emmett and Joel provide insight into their contrasting worldviews—one shaped by ambition and intellectualism, the other by economic struggle and quiet resentment.

The setting—a Kentucky town shaped by corporate influence and economic disparity—adds depth to the novel’s themes. Emmett’s job at the fulfillment center serves as a metaphor for modern capitalism, highlighting the tension between personal aspirations and systemic limitations.
The novel also excels in its exploration of family dynamics, particularly the complex relationship between the brothers and their mother. Joel’s academic success contrasts sharply with Emmett’s stalled dreams, creating a compelling emotional undercurrent throughout the story.

Fulfillment is a thought-provoking, beautifully written novel that examines the intersection of ambition, family, and the search for meaning. Cole’s ability to craft flawed yet deeply human characters makes this a must-read for fans of literary fiction. If you enjoy novels that explore personal identity, economic realities, and the weight of unspoken truths, this one is well worth picking up

Pre-Read Notes:

I really like stories about siblings. I know how tempestuous such connections can be. Good writers often bring out both the searing and the sweet nuances of sibling relationships. I'm hoping for a lot here!

"Starting again, something new. When it’s still an idea. Before you’ve fucked it up." p60

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) Well I didn't like this book and it wasn't because of the writing, which is gorgeous. It is very political, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's also dogmatic and didactic which I loathe. I stuck in there to see if the story would have some growth in store for the characters. *edit Yeah, it wasn't bad in that regard, I'll give it that.

This is essentially a story about people seeing past their differences to move forward with their lives less burdened than before. But I also think it makes a political statement between the lines. It's a clever book, and it did make me think about things. But I don't like didactic books, where I feel like the author or narrator is overly biased on some polemic issue or political ideology.

A Few Things:

✔️ The details are gorgeous. There's a scene where two characters smoke together in order to just collect themselves and connect with each other. The scene took me immediately back to my cigarette smoking days, when that ten or twelve minutes with that other person felt completely insulated, as if it was just the two of us off on the moon. Wonderful nostalgia, without being sticky.

✔️ "You don’t even live here , Emmett said. You don’t even live in the South. He knew this was the weakest point in Joel’s intellectual fortifications. He was an outsider. He had gone away by choice and come back to tell the others how miserable their lives were. This was the worst thing you could be in the South. An intellectual carpetbagger." p60 The dialog is natural but there is so much of it, and there are no quotation marks, not nearly enough dialog tags. I'm usually a fan of experimental elements, like the dialog structure, here, and nonlinear timeline, but I honestly think these elements were distracting from the real material at hand. And it makes the dialog, which props up this whole book, vague and convoluted.

✔️ I like the ending, even if it is a little predictable. The character development here is surprisingly nuanced and appreciable, except that unfortunately every female character is flat, used as a prop.

Notes:

1. content notes: politics, cheating, open door sex scenes, alcohol consumption, guns, sibling rivalry, divorce

Thank you to the author Lee Cole, publishers Alfred A. Knopf, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of FULFILLMENT. All views are mine.

This reminded me slightly of David Joy in the best way. It started a bit slow but then I couldn't stop reading, wanting to find out what would happen. Excellently written and very interesting. Give this one a try!

Fulfillment comes out next week on June 17, 2025, and you can purchase HERE!

"You don't even live here, Emmett said. You don't even live in the South.
He knew this was the weakest point in Joel's intellectual fortifications. He was an outsider. He had gone away by choice and come back to tell the others how miserable their lives were. This was the worst thing you could be in the South. An intellectual carpetbagger.

You know somehow that this isn't going to end well but it's an atmospheric ride through the lives of Emmett and Joel as well as Joel's wife Alice and their mother. Emmett hasn't settled; he's moved back home to work at a warehouse and on his script. Joel and Alice are back because he's snared a teaching job. Ostensibly he's the more successful brother and he's married but it's not a happy marriage. And Alice is very unhappy. There's siblings rivalry, there's the gig economy, there's the drug trade, there's unfufillable hopes and dreams. There's also some good writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

Lee Cole’s Fulfillment is a deeply affecting exploration of fractured relationships, quiet resentments, and the yearning for a more meaningful life. Set against the backdrop of rural Kentucky, this novel delicately examines the lives of two half-brothers—Joel, an accomplished but emotionally distant academic, and Emmett, a drifting warehouse worker lost in the shadows of unrealized potential.

Alice, Joel’s restless wife, is at the heart of their unraveling, whose longing for simplicity and connection strikes a nerve in both men. As tensions rise and unspoken desires ignite, the story transforms into a tense, emotionally charged crucible that tests each character’s boundaries and illusions.

Cole writes with sharp insight and lyrical precision, crafting characters who feel deeply human, flawed, tender, selfish, and searching. The themes of class, disillusionment, and longing are handled with subtlety and nuance, making Fulfillment not just a family drama but a haunting meditation on the American dream and the personal costs of chasing—or surrendering—it.

This novel simmers rather than shouts, slowly tightening its grip until the final, devastating crescendo. Quietly powerful and richly evocative, Fulfillment is a story that lingers long after the last page.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the opportunity to read this book.

Sadly this book just wasn't a right fit for me. I read it, but it wasn't a book I would choose on my own to read and stuggled to finish.

I just found it a tad boring

It may appeal to a different audience.

Two half brothers and one of their wives become entangled in a messy family dynamic when they are reunited in the town they grew up in - Paducah, KY. To see literary fiction with smart, intricate characters from our area is so refreshing. It’s all about the choices we make with the options we have. How things like class and location touch every aspect of our lives in often unnoticed ways. How the ones that stay have more to their story. Does getting out really mean “making it” and if so, how can someone still be so unhappy? I loved everything about this.

I loved Groundskeeping, and this was a great follow up from Lee Cole. I love the characters Lee creates - they are flawed and for that reason so real to me. I feel like I know them, like they are friends whose story I am reading. I also love the setting of the stories, and how Cole so deftly explores the tensions and nuance of family politics. Even when the story breaks my heart, I walk away feeling hopeful for these characters and for humanity.

This book is emotional and deep, asking the reader to think about happiness and life choices.
Emmett and Joel are half brothers, different in their respective lives, their thoughts and their fortunes.
The characters in this book are all looking for more in their lives, striving for what they believe is best for them.
When people are hurt and need to recover, the story becomes much more complex and is heavy reading.
A wonderful rural setting is perfect for rebuilding lives.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting piece of fiction set mainly in Kentucky at the modest family home of a mother of two young adult men. Kathy's oldest son Joel is a teacher and writer and is regarded as the successful son, while half-brother Emmett is struggling to find himself, working in a warehouse situation while holding secret ambitions of being a screenwriter. While Emmett is single, Joel is married to Alice. Joel and Alice married after knowing each other for only months, and now the relationship is already in a state of stagnation. Both sons are visiting their mom, which leads to a simmering and dangerous situation: Alice and Emmett become attracted to each other.

Part of the allure of this book for me was the small-town life, with the mom smoking Misty cigarettes on her back porch and Grandma Ruth reusing coffee grounds to save money. I also enjoyed the occasional trips to New York City, LA, and the scandalous, illicit moments between Alice and Emmett. This is a story about three young adults finding themselves professionally and personally, navigating what life has to offer.

Thank you to the publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Fullfillment by Lee Cole takes place in Kentucky. It is the story of 2 brothers along with their mother and the wife of one of the brothers. I just could not get into this book or story. There just wasn't much happening and it moved too slow for me. At one time I put it down, picked it up later and just skimmed it to the end. The characters were not very likeable and the story had no point.

I loved Lee Cole’’s debut novel, Groundskeeping, and was so excited about this sophomore effort yet nervous that it would disappoint, it did not!! I tore through this story of family and expectations and the characters felt so fully realized and familiar to me as someone from the small town south. I do not love the cover of this one as much as either of the groundskeeping covers, but hopefully that won’t hold folks back from giving this is a go, because it was such a worthy read.

I would like to thank Net galley as well as Knopf Publishing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.
I really liked Lee Cole's first book, Groundskeeping and so wanted to read his second. Fulfillment is in the same vein as Groundskeeping, a slow thoughtful character study of every day people . The prose is beautifully written.The story does move a bit slowly for me, and a few times I wanted to shake the characters and say"snap out of it"! Overall, however, I feel that it was really well done. Emmett and Joel are half brothers.They both grew up in Kentucky but Joel is now a professor in New York and has written a book. He is coming home to visit his family, with his wife Alice. Emmett has just been fired from his job at Outback and is also back home. He has a job at an Amazon like facility , where he sorts shipment orders. Both Emmett and Joel are unhappy, but neither wants to admit it. Joel seems like he has everything, but his marriage is shaky and he is battling depression. Emmett wants to be a screen writer,but has been drifting between jobs.Alice, has left a PHD program to marry Joel, but seems happiest when she is planting and working in the garden.Three people who are searching for , well if not fulfillment, maybe some purpose or definition in life.As I said it is a bit slow, but I gave it 4 stars ( rounded up from 3.5)just for the sheer beauty of the writing.

Two brothers, Joel and Emmett and Alice Joel’s wife are all unhappy. None of them have managed to fulfill their dreams. You can feel the explosive tension between them. They look for fulfillment but often in the wrong places. I found it very thought provoking.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Slow, thoughtful look at the state of the American dream, told through the lens of two brothers from a working class family in Kentucky. One has "made it" -- education, a white-collar job in academia with a book deal and a wife -- the other is still figuring things out, working in an Amazon-like shipping hub. It is not a spoiler to say that the American dream is as much an illusion for these characters as it was for the characters in the midcentury novels of suburbia.

Cole's writing is sharp, and his eye for modern America is good. I've loved Groundskeeping, his first novel, and liked this one a lot. I appreciate the middle America stories he's telling and I hope he keeps that perspective.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

“Fulfillment” is a novel by Lee Cole. This book takes place in Kentucky and follows two brothers - Emmett and Joel. This book just missed the mark for me. I didn’t really like any of the characters and for the longest time nothing really seems to happen and just rather lay there for the most part. Also, it was a bit of a depressing read at times. I found Cole’s writing style interesting, but not interesting enough for me to enjoy the book as much as I hoped to.

Lee Cole can write! Having loved his previous novel Groundskeeping, I was thrilled to read Fulfillment and was not disappointed.

Set in Peducah, Kentucky, this is a novel with three main characters: Half-brothers Joel and Emmett, and Joel's wife, Alice.

I don't want to spoil anything from the plot. At the heart of it, this is a book about the fulfillment of imperfection - of things not going "as planned" - of rethinking things and following your bliss. Life is not perfect but there's peace and fulfillment in the ride. The writing is beautiful and I love how Kentucky is like another character in the novel representing Home and Failure.

I highly recommend this one. Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Fulfillment is the story of two brothers in middle America: Emmett and Joel. Emmett is solidly working class, his full time job being as a package handler for a behemoth warehouse. Emmett wants to be a screenwriter and has taken modest steps in that direction, but it’s pretty obvious to the reader that it’s likely fruitless. Joel, on the other hand, is a successful author and professor. They’re in their late twenties and back home in Kentucky at the Dream Home, their mother’s house.

I wanted to like this book more than I actually liked it. It’s slow and while dramatic things happen, it also feels like there’s not much story. The characters aren’t particularly likable or tangible, and for me, the story plodded along to almost nowhere. I can see why people might like Fulfillment, especially if they can identify with either Emmett or Joel, but this didn’t work for me.

I was able to power through to the end after a short break. 3 stars. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fulfillment is about...fulfillment but in ways that are not often discovered. I couldn't decide what I wanted to happen in the end with the relationships, and that is a testament to the rich characters and plot drawn by Cole. I love reading about Appalachia, and Fulfillment is one of the best.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the ebook. A fun trio of characters set across the American South. There’s Joel, an academic and successful author and his half brother, Emmett, whose empty life is caught up in the ugly dramas of working for a big shipping warehouse. In the middle of these two, is Alice, Joel’s wife. She’s caught between Joel’s steadiness and Emmett’s passion for something new. Is Joel simply too rigid and Emmett a dreamer with no plans for the future? An interesting tale of how we live now.