Lot by Bryan Washington
A novel of linked short stories, Bryan Washington's work embraces a Houston that is a riot of cultures crossing boundaries. They frankly address racial, sexual, and economic realities, and how they all collide and converge. Alternating glimpses into the life and loves of a boy growing up black, Latino, and gay binds the work together to create a rich, immersive saga. "Lot" is impossible to put down.
Short stories can be a hard sell nowadays, there are less markets for writers to develop the craft and many readers, myself included, often won't pick them up unless there's a compelling reason.
My compelling reason for you: these are phenomenal! There are connections in these stories so there is the continuity of the novel, but the diversity of voices in this book and the message it sends of Houston - a city in Texas for God's sake - as being a place of the future and a true reflection of America. This collection opened my eyes to a world I don't see living where I do and the stories gives me hope.
This was selection of Indies Introduce, a panel I was honored to be a part of, and it won the admiration of us booksellers because of its honesty and that hopefulness in the center of heartbreak that arrives in these stories. Please, support these stories and check them out at your local bookstore or library.
