A haunting, heart-rending debut told through fragments—letters, journals, stories, and memory—Lamb is a raw and lyrical coming-of-age novel that speaks to anyone who’s ever loved someone who slipped just out of reach.

When D’s enigmatic best friend, Lamb, disappears just before they’re meant to move in together, grief leaves a ghost. Years later, uncovering Lamb’s journals unspools a kaleidoscopic portrait of a queer punk misfit—equal parts tenderness and rebellion—set against the backdrop of elite schools, underground San Francisco, and the shadow of the AIDS crisis.

Told in a deeply intimate voice that echoes A Little Life, Tales of the City, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Troy Ford’s Lamb is a love letter to youth, friendship, queer identity, and the ache of unfinished stories.

With literary precision and emotional vulnerability, Ford crafts a mosaic of two lives bound by memory, art, and the search for belonging.

Early readers say:

“A whispered secret, drawing you in with its quiet confidence and emotional depth.”

“This story broke my heart a little, but in the best way.”

“So well crafted with humor, grit, and heart.”

“One of those rare books that sneaks up on you.”

“A queer slice of life. Heartbreakingly lovely.”

“Something rare and quietly extraordinary… one of those books that doesn’t just entertain for a season, it puts down roots.”

This is a rare debut: experimental in form, devastating in feeling, and unforgettable in its quiet power. Perfect for fans of hybrid storytelling, LGBTQ+ literary fiction, and emotionally rich narratives of friendship and loss.

For fans of: Ocean Vuong, Hanya Yanagihara, Armistead Maupin, Douglas Stuart, and Andrew Sean Greer.