The Boys

A tour-de-force post-pandemic novel about love, the yearning for connection, and the ways in which childhood trauma plays out in adult life. When introverted Ethan Fawcett marries the vivacious Barb, he has every reason to believe he will be delivered from a lifetime of solitude. They become the foster parents to two young brothers, Tommy and Sam. But instead of bringing the Barb and Ethan closer together, the boys become a wedge in their relationship. When the pandemic hits, Ethan grows obsessed with providing a perfect life for the boys. In the process, he pushes Barb away, unable to share with her a secret that has been haunting him since childhood. Once the planet returns to a version of normal, Ethan takes Tommy and Sam on a biking adventure in Italy. During what turns out to be a disastrous excursion, it becomes clear just how unusual Ethan and his children are--and what it will take for Ethan to repair his marriage. This hauntingly beautiful novel is filled with humor and surprise. The Boys is a poignant, page-turning literary debut that, above all, is a bold and highly original high-wire feat.