Night of the Living Rez

New England Book Award Winner, Fiction

Barnes & Noble Discover Award Finalist

An Esquire and Great Group Reads Best Book of 2022

A New York Times, TIME, The Boston Globe, Orion, Vulture, Boston.com, Daily Beast, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, Bustle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Lit Hub, Chicago Review of Books, Book Riot, WBUR, WBEZ, and Debutiful Best Book of Summer

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.

"Remarkable. . . . An electric, captivating voice. . . . Talty has assured himself a spot in the canon of great Native American literature."
― The New York Times

"Hypnotizing. . . . friendship and family, beautifully tinted with both sadness and humor."
― TIME

"A perfect mix of funny, sad, timely, and intense, this one has something for everyone."
― The Boston Globe

"A blazing new talent."
― Oprah Daily

"Memorable."
― The Wall Street Journal

"Astounding. . . . Talty is an important new writer to watch."
― Esquire

"Etched with humor, violence, tenderness, and insight, these braided stories burn bright."
― Orion

"Unearths grace amid strife. . . . Talty, with his ear for natural, almost musical dialogue, compels you to keep listening."
― Vulture

"Emotionally pitch-perfect, immersive, and beautifully nuanced, Talty has gifted readers with a stunning debut that shows the interconnectedness of family, community, and ultimately who we are and what we can become. . . . devastating, satisfying, and heart-stopping."
― Shondaland

"Gorgeous."
― Cosmopolitan

"Powerful."
― BuzzFeed