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A Novel
by Katie Hafner
A delicious summer read filled with humor and surprise for readers of Anne Tyler and Kevin Wilson.
When introverted Ethan Fawcett marries fun-loving Barb, so comfortable in the world, 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. To ease Ethan's fears of becoming a father, Barb suggests they foster two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, and Ethan immediately falls in love with the 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 boys are.
"Remarkable ... Starting out as a lighthearted romance before taking an unsettling turn ... Upends expectations in the best way." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"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
"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
This information about The Boys was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katie Hafner is a journalist and author who writes frequently for the New York Times and The Washington Post. She is the author of six non-fiction books including Mother Daughter Me, a memoir; A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano; Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet (with Matthew Lyon). She is host and co-executive producer of the popular podcast, Lost Women of Science. The Boys is her first novel. She lives in San Francisco.
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