The Whirlpool of Lebanon
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Pub Date Sep 15 2026 | Archive Date Oct 16 2026
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Description
There's something in the water in Lebanon, Kansas.
Zeb Stout is an eccentric rancher with a sick wife and a field of junkyard sculptures. As hope fades, a whirlpool appears in the pasture, offering a choice he never imagined.
Consequences ripple through Lebanon. Calves wander down Main Street. Rumors spread of impossible recoveries. Neighbors vanish. Soon the entire town is drawn to Stout Ranch, desperate to drink, to heal, to be young.
The Whirlpool of Lebanon is a surreal and darkly comic novel about love, longing, and the terrible beauty of second chances. This is what happens when a miracle arrives—and refuses to leave.
A Note From the Publisher
Will also hosts Who Reads Books Anymore?, a popular social media video series in which he asks strangers about their reading lives (@willpassbooks).
Raised in Kansas, he now lives in Colorado with his family.
Advance Praise
“A weird, funny, and often suspenseful novel about aging and redemption.”
—Foreword Reviews
“A well-crafted comedy about the bad side of miracles."
—Kirkus Reviews (“Get It” selection)
“An exquisitely constructed novel with a large cast of believable, well-rounded characters you come to care about. Pass also captures the nuances of High Plains village life, which many have attempted but few have achieved.”
—Bryan L. Jones, author of North of the Platte, South of the Niobrara
“Whirlpool is an intercession between the sublime and the sublunary, with characters as real as they are hilarious, as redeemable as they are tragic. Swift and stylish, this book is a bit like a glistening puddle you stomp on for joy then realize you’re standing in the center of the sea.”
—Joe Deany-Braun, curator of Perelandra Bookshop and author of Young Santa
“The story sucked me in with the same awe and mystery as the whirlpool spinning at its center. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time—for better or worse—then this book is for you. I loved every page.”
—Becky Mandelbaum, author of Bad Kansas (Flannery O’Connor Award)
Marketing Plan
@willpassbooks
@willpassbooks
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798989180530 |
| PRICE | $19.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 276 |
Links
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Average rating from 11 members
Featured Reviews
Tegan R, Reviewer
I really liked this! This is exactly the type of literary fiction I like - the type that sucks time away but makes you feel like none has passed at all. You know that feeling you get when you read a really good book, like it's not you turning the pages but you're seeing this all automatically play out before your eyes, almost like a movie? That's how it was for me towards the end. I was LOCKED IN and loving it.
I love the premise, the setting, the characters, the twists, and the execution. It started off a little slow and I'm glad I stuck with it. When it kicked off, it really ran with it and had me hooked. I think that was around chapter three.
Towards the end of the book I enjoyed the dizzying thrill I had as I fell more and more into the world and the stakes became higher and higher. I think I was holding my breath at one point as my eyes moved at super speed across the page.
I have several questions about the ending but I'm not mad at it. I have some theories about what happened and why but they're probably more fun to think about than to be answered. Some things are tied up at the end and some things aren't and ain't that just like life.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys literary fiction with a twist of sci-fi.
Thank you to Will Pass, Thiessen Press, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
Josephine L, Reviewer
Okay, this book was WEIRD, and I mean that in the best possible way.
The Whirlpool of Lebanon is such a fun, strange, darkly funny story. The idea of a mysterious whirlpool that can heal people and turn back the clock is already wild, but watching an entire small town become obsessed with it was even better.
I loved the characters, especially Zeb and Nancy. They felt so real and human, and somehow the book manages to be hilarious one minute and surprisingly emotional the next. I also loved the small-town Kansas setting and all the wonderfully eccentric people who live there.
There’s something really interesting underneath all the weirdness, this book has a lot to say about aging, mortality, love, and what we would do if we were given a chance to start over.
Strange, funny, heartfelt, and completely unpredictable. I flew through this one and honestly didn’t want it to end. Definitely recommend if you like your books a little weird!
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