Genre Fiction
![Katie Hafner - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_katie_hafner.jpg)
The Boys: A Novel
"A brilliant, thoughtful novel that comes with perhaps the greatest shocker in recent literature (no spoiler alert). A superb meditation on loneliness and community."-Gary Shteyngart, New York Times bestselling author of Our Country Friends
"Remarkable …. Starting out as a lighthearted romance before taking an unsettling turn, [The Boys] upends expectations in the best way."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Anne Tyler meets Kevin Wilson in this novel for our time.
When introverted Ethan Fawcett marries Barb, he has every reason to believe he will be delivered from a lifetime of solitude. She fills his world with a sense of adventure, expanding his horizons beyond his comfortable routine. Because Ethan fears becoming a father, one day Barb brings home two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, for them to foster, and Ethan immediately falls in love with the two boys. When the pandemic hits, he becomes obsessed with providing a perfect life for them. But instead of bringing Barb and Ethan closer together, the boys become a wedge in their relationship, as Ethan is unable to share with Barb a secret that has been haunting him since childhood. Then Ethan takes Tommy and Sam on a biking trip in Italy, and it becomes clear just how unusual Ethan and his children are. This hauntingly beautiful debut novel-a bold and original high-wire feat-is "a treat with a surprise inside" (Publishers Weekly).
"Remarkable …. Starting out as a lighthearted romance before taking an unsettling turn, [The Boys] upends expectations in the best way."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Anne Tyler meets Kevin Wilson in this novel for our time.
When introverted Ethan Fawcett marries Barb, he has every reason to believe he will be delivered from a lifetime of solitude. She fills his world with a sense of adventure, expanding his horizons beyond his comfortable routine. Because Ethan fears becoming a father, one day Barb brings home two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, for them to foster, and Ethan immediately falls in love with the two boys. When the pandemic hits, he becomes obsessed with providing a perfect life for them. But instead of bringing Barb and Ethan closer together, the boys become a wedge in their relationship, as Ethan is unable to share with Barb a secret that has been haunting him since childhood. Then Ethan takes Tommy and Sam on a biking trip in Italy, and it becomes clear just how unusual Ethan and his children are. This hauntingly beautiful debut novel-a bold and original high-wire feat-is "a treat with a surprise inside" (Publishers Weekly).
Editorial Reviews
"Tender and emotionally intelligent . . . . An audacious feat of narrative bravado."– Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go Bernadette
"The Boys is utterly charming -- one of the most delightful books I have read in ages. As we bike through Italy's little villages with introvert Ethan Fawcett, stopping to drink a caffè shakerato as church bells ring in a mournful E flat, what we see around us is the wide and beautiful horizon of the human heart. I absolutely loved this little miracle of a book."-Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris
"This is a treat-yourself read, the tale of an endearing human on a hilariously misguided quest for love and connection, in the delight-filled tradition of Anne Tyler. But Hafner bakes a surprise into the center of her confection- a glorious, mind-blowing twist that propels the story to unexpected heights and depths. With exquisite compassion and humor, this novel leaves its readers deeply nourished, heart, mind, and soul." -Debra Jo Immergut, author of You Again and The Captives
"Unexpectedly funny, touching, disarming-The Boys got under my skin from the very first page. Hafner is a wry and wise explorer of the secrets buried deep in our most intimate relationships. This novel will stay with me for a long time."-Laura Zigman, author of Separation Anxiety
"Journalist and author Hafner's fiction debut is a striking entry to relationship fiction that is timely and optimistic. … With beautifully rendered characters and rich language, this is a treat, especially for fans of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg." -Booklist
"The Boys is utterly charming -- one of the most delightful books I have read in ages. As we bike through Italy's little villages with introvert Ethan Fawcett, stopping to drink a caffè shakerato as church bells ring in a mournful E flat, what we see around us is the wide and beautiful horizon of the human heart. I absolutely loved this little miracle of a book."-Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris
"This is a treat-yourself read, the tale of an endearing human on a hilariously misguided quest for love and connection, in the delight-filled tradition of Anne Tyler. But Hafner bakes a surprise into the center of her confection- a glorious, mind-blowing twist that propels the story to unexpected heights and depths. With exquisite compassion and humor, this novel leaves its readers deeply nourished, heart, mind, and soul." -Debra Jo Immergut, author of You Again and The Captives
"Unexpectedly funny, touching, disarming-The Boys got under my skin from the very first page. Hafner is a wry and wise explorer of the secrets buried deep in our most intimate relationships. This novel will stay with me for a long time."-Laura Zigman, author of Separation Anxiety
"Journalist and author Hafner's fiction debut is a striking entry to relationship fiction that is timely and optimistic. … With beautifully rendered characters and rich language, this is a treat, especially for fans of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg." -Booklist
