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