Night of the Living Rez

WINNER OF THE PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZE

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN LEONARD PRIZE

WINNER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS & LETTERS SUE KAUFMAN PRIZE

WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARD

A NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION 5 UNDER 35 HONOREE

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 humour, 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 ... He forms a rich and vast picture of what it is to be alive, with stunning clarity, empathy and unwavering honesty.'
-Amil Niazi, The New York Times

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

'Talty's book haunted and thrilled me in its raw explorations of inheritance, grief and survival, imbued with humour and warmth.'
-NPR Books