Author:Adam Haslett
In one of the most acclaimed fiction debuts in years, Adam Haslett explores the lives that appear shuttered by loss and discovers entire worlds hidden inside them. An ageing inventor, burning with manic creativity, tries to reconcile with his estranged gay son. An orphaned boy draws a thuggish classmate into a relationship of escalating guilt and violence. A genteel middle-aged woman, a long-time resident of a rest home, becomes the confidante of a lovelorn, teenage volunteer. With Checkovian restraint and compassion, conveying both the sorrow of life and the courage with which people rise to meet it, You Are Not A Stranger Here is a triumph.
Adam Haslett is a wonderful rarity. You're likely not only to love his stories but to feel stronger for having read them
—— Jonathan Franzen, author of 'The Corrections'Adam Haslett possesses the rare ability to combine powerful narrative with sensitive and perceptive observations of people and places. You Are Not a Stranger Here is a brilliant beginning to a literary career
—— Barry UnsworthAdam Haslett's tone is one of delicate, understated heartache... He never lets the reader forget that he is shining an unflinching light on those types of human suffering that cannot be cured, only endured
—— Sunday TimesEnormously moving... Haslett's writing is harrowing, morbidly funny and deeply erotic
—— Independent on SundayAdam Haslett arrives from out of nowhere sounding like a master
—— Jay McInerneyThe stories are sharply focused, beautifully written and powerfully moving. I know of no collection like it. Deservedly it has become a classic
—— Ann BeattieYates is a master of the form
—— Sebastian Faulks