We Were the Universe
By Kimberly King Parsons

A young mother, in denial after the loss of her sister, navigates the dizzying landscapes of desire, guilt, and grief in this darkly comic, highly anticipated debut novel from Kimberly King Parsons, author of Black Light (longlisted for the National Book Award).'Feral' Jenny Offill, author of Weather 'Horny' Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of Pizza Girl 'Hilarious' Chelsea Bieker, author of Mad Woman The trip was supposed to be fun. When Kit's best friend gets dumped by his boyfriend, he begs her to ditch her family responsibilities for a quick, idyllic weekend away. They'll soak in hot springs, then drink too much, like old times. Instead, their getaway only reminds Kit of everything she's lost lately: her wildness, her independence and - most heartbreakingly of all - her sister, Julie, who died a few years ago. When she returns home, Kit tries to settle the routine of caring for her irrepressible young daughter. But in the secret recesses of Kit's mind, she's fantasizing about the hot playground mum and reminiscing about the band she used to be in with her sister - and how they'd go out to the desert after shows and drop acid. Keyed into everything that might distract her from her surfacing grief, Kit begins to spiral, and as her already thin boundaries between reality and fantasty blur, she starts to wonder: is Julie really gone?