I recently finished reading Eiren Caffall's debut novel All The Water In The World, a stunning, beautifully rendered climate novel that gives Station Eleven vibes. It's such an accomplished and profound debut (a few more thoughts here), and I'm always in awe of writers who are able to pull this off in a first book (a first published book, anyway). So I started thinking about other debut novels I've read and really loved recently. Here is a list of some of my favorites from the last several years.
Perris, California, by Rachel Stark -- At some point, I'll turn the page and stop talking about this fantastic, gritty 2024 debut. But today is not that day. I can't wait for the paperback to hit shelves March 25 so I can restart my campaign to get this book a wider readership!
Nightcrawling, by Leila Mottley -- Brave. Simply no other way to describe this debut about a woman who is forced to turn to sex work to take care of her younger brother. Mottley was just 21 years old when this novel was published. Her follow-up novel -- The Girls Who Grew Big -- is due out June 24.
Groundskeeping, by Lee Cole -- This 2022 novel is an absolute wheelhouse book for me -- campus novel, love story, and examination of politics, class, and power. Lee Cole's follow up is also out this summer -- June 17. It's titled Fulfillment and it sounds in a similar vein to his debut -- "two half brothers navigating the complexities of class and privilege in the American South." Can't wait!
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil, by Ananda Lima -- You may have heard me mention this book once or twice in this space as well. It's still mind-blowing to me how this novel-in-stories comes together so cohesively, both plot and thematically, in fewer than 200 pages.
All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Mathews -- I picked this up initially because I'll read any book set in Milwaukee (there aren't many!). But it turned out to be a truly impressive and original coming-of-age tale. Loved it!
Olga Dies Dreaming, by Xochitl Gonzalez -- I read this book about a high-society wedding planner (wait, what?!) in basically two sittings. This goes from a fizzy rom-com to a political tale of the travails of Puerto Ricans. If this sounds like it'd be difficult to pull off, I was amazed how seamlessly Gonzalez does it. Her second novel, Anita de Monte Laughs Last, was published last year -- I haven't gotten to it yet, but it's on my shelf, staring me down as I type this.
A Country You Can Leave, by Asale Angel-Ajani -- In some ways, this is a great companion novel to Perris, California -- similar themes, driven by character voice, similarly accomplished as a debut novel, similar setting. Like many of these novels, this was a book I took a chance on based on the recommendation of someone whose opinion I hold in high regard. And they were not wrong. It's fantastic!
The Divorcées, by Rowan Beaird -- If you've noticed a theme in this list of books, it's that many of them are populated with absolutely fierce, not-to-be-messed-with women. And this one is no different. Plus a really fascinating setting -- a divorce ranch in Nevada -- make this debut a spectacular read.
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