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Fret

A Novel

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Pub Date Aug 25 2026 | Archive Date Jun 30 2026


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Description

A propulsive and incisive novel: a frazzled mother of two’s precarious situation is made more so when her idling car is stolen — with her young daughter still in it — and all her life choices, both big and small, are opened up to the scrutiny of the internet, her community, and ultimately, herself.

“Nadia Bozak is a tremendous talent.” — Zoe Whittall, author of The Fake

Once a rising star of indie rock, Kate is now a middle-aged single mom living far out of the spotlight. Everything changes for her when an unprecedented heat wave and a stolen car set off a chain of events that threaten to upend her new, peaceful life. Fired from her job, separated from her children, and overwhelmed by public shaming, Kate must navigate the cold realities of the child welfare and family court systems while struggling to stay cool in an increasingly unbearable world.

Determined to rebuild, Kate finds herself forging new connections and fostering a sense of community — something she hasn’t felt since her music career ended in disaster more than a decade before. As Kate finds a new voice, she makes her way back to her children and her love of music, and steps closer to reconciling with her former bandmate and arch-rival: her little sister.

If building community is Kate’s way of reckoning with the mistakes of her past, can it also be a way to mitigate the deeper, more urgent issues and structural injustices that threaten our future?
A propulsive and incisive novel: a frazzled mother of two’s precarious situation is made more so when her idling car is stolen — with her young daughter still in it — and all her life choices, both...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781770418639
PRICE $19.95 (USD)
PAGES 256

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Average rating from 7 members


Featured Reviews

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I loved this book! The language was so vivid, the characters were so full of life, like you know sometimes when you read a book and it describes someone's movement pattern and you´d think "what the hell"? that´s so unnatural? why would someone make that movement? Here, everything felt so natural and the characters felt so alive.
Honestly to the point that when I finished reading and was cooking dinner, I started to worry about Kate's future, As if we knew each other? Of course, I caught myself quickly and was amused by my stupid brain, but that says a lot about the book for me anyway.
So human and beautiful.

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Fret is a character-driven story with plenty of propulsive plot. Kate makes some bad decisions; her life is not neatly tied up with a bow. This makes her a very realistic character. Her character arc is quite relatable, especially as she learns to open up to others. The public shaming aspect of the story adds another layer of tension. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

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This was such a great piece of art! This was so interesting and really made me think. I highly recommend this to those who love fiction!

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