Night of the Living Rez: Stories

WINNER OF THE PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZEWINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN LEONARD PRIZEWINNER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS & LETTERS SUE KAUFMAN PRIZE WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARDA NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION 5 UNDER 35 HONOREE Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy. In twelve striking, luminescent stories, author Morgan Talty — with searing humour, abiding compassion, and deep insight — breathes life into tales of family and a community as they struggle with a painful past and an uncertain future. A boy unearths a jar that holds an old curse, which sets into motion his family’s unravelling; a man, while trying to swindle some pot from a dealer, discovers a friend passed out in the woods, his hair frozen into the snow; a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s projects the past onto her grandson; and two friends, inspired by Antiques Roadshow, attempt to rob the tribal museum for valuable root clubs. A collection that examines the consequences and merits of inheritance, Night of the Living Rez is an unforgettable portrayal of an Indigenous community and marks the arrival of a standout talent in contemporary fiction.