A dazzlingly original new novel from the acclaimed author of The Borrower

Rebecca Makkai is one of the most admired young fiction writers in America. Her short fiction was selected for The Best American Short Stories for four years running, and Richard Russo has called her “as sneakily ambitious as she is unpretentious . . . a writer to watch.”

Now, Makkai returns with an ingenious novel set on an historic estate that once housed an arts colony. Doug, the husband of the estate’s heir, desperately needs the colony files to get his stalled academic career back on track. But what he discovers when he finally gets his hands on them is more than he bargained for. Doug may never learn the house’s secrets, but the reader will, as Makkai leads us on a thrilling journey into the past of this eccentric family.

With intelligence, wit, and a daring narrative approach, Rebecca Makkai has crafted an unforgettable novel about identity, fate, and the incredible surprises life can offer.