Americana

With "echoes of Of Mice and Men" (The Bookseller, UK), The Motel Life explores the frustrations and failed dreams of two Nevada brothers—on the run after a hit-and-run accident—who, forgotten by society, and short on luck and hope, desperately cling to the edge of modern life.

Fleeing Las Vegas and her abusive boyfriend, Allison Johnson moves to Reno, intent on making a new life for herself. But haunted by the mistakes of her past, and lacking any self-belief, her only comfort seems to come from the imaginary conversations she has with her hero, Paul Newman. But, as life crawls on and she finds work, small acts of kindness do start to reveal themselves, and slowly the chance of a new life begins to emerge. Full of memorable characters and imbued with a beautiful sense of yearning, Northline is an extraordinary portrait of small-town America and an emotional tour de force from an author praised for his 'compassion and warmth' (The Times).