Night of the Living Rez

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 humor, 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 unraveling; 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.

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296 pages

Average rating: 6.72

32 RATINGS

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3 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

Em_Lauderdale
Apr 19, 2024
9/10 stars
Absolutely amazing- I couldn’t put it down! I wanted more!!
reverieinmaine
Apr 21, 2023
10/10 stars
Brilliant writing, strong sense of place, realistic characters. Raw and real. Interconnected stories that show how addiction and abuse show up, incrementally, not all at once, and how it happens to otherwise good, or at least neutral, people. A bit desolate and heartbreaking, but such good writing, such a clear-eyed look at life for a particular slice of the population that is rarely depicted with such clarity.
carlylin
Jan 19, 2023
8/10 stars
4.5 - Wow, I rarely read short stories but this collection of stories was impactful and intricately woven. As the stories progressed, the author strategically shed light on the characters' pasts and how it haunts their present/future. While reading I felt transported into the story, every seemingly small moment connected to something bigger. The themes were strong, and the story telling was raw, which tied the collection together.

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