Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Fire Exit by Morgan Talty! This has been one of my patron's most recommended reads of the year!

3.5 stars, rounded down. I enjoyed Talty's 2023 short story collection [book:Night of the Living Rez|56648158], which was bleak, disturbing, and drugged-out, but filled with dark humor, visceral horror, and grotesque irony.

<i>Fire Exit</i> is his first novel, and set in the same place and amongst similar characters in similar situations: the Penobscot Nation's reservation in coastal Maine. Talty again addresses themes of intergenerational trauma, addiction, and mental illness, amongst deeply sympathetic characters whose lives have been distorted by systemic poverty and historical injustice.

Here, he's operating in a much narrower and more subdued emotional register, depicting the severed-from-birth relationship between a father and daughter divided by rules of blood quantum, which determines who has rightful tribal membership, and can reside on the reservation. Our protagonist Charles, whose mother wasn't native but was raised by a Penobscot stepfather, was forced to leave the reservation when he died in a mysterious hunting accident. Now a middle-aged adult, he lives just across the river from the house of his biological daughter Elizabeth, whose native mother took her back to the reservation to raise her as a Penobscot with a native adopted father.

Charles spends the novel ruminating upon this raw and painful loss, wanting to be a father to the now-adult Elizabeth and debating whether he should reveal himself. But he finds himself pulled in the other direction to care for his dementia-stricken mother Louise, whose mental illness Elizabeth might have inherited.

These questions of identity, culture, and legacy are heavy subject matter, but Talty handles it gracefully, perhaps overly decorously. The prose is plain and affecting, but I was expecting more fireworks, abrupt shifts, and unforeseeable shocks.

<i>Thanks to Tin House Books and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.</I>

I had a good feeling about this book since the start, but somewhere in the middle got a bit slow and boring for me. Thankfully it picked up by the last third and made it worth sticking through the end. Charles had an affair with a married woman that resulted in a daughter, but she doesn't know he is his real father. Her mom, Mary, pretends Elizabeth is her husband's daughter so she can be counted as Native on their reservation town in Maine. Charles lives just across the river from them, so even though he doesn't get to raise his daughter, he gets to watch her grow up. Now Elizabeth is an adult and suddenly disappears, so Charles gets worried and goes to Mary who doesn't give any information at all. At the same time, Charles is taking care of his aging mother, who is starting to lose her memory and has battled with severe depression her whole life. The end of this book was a bit heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time. I liked the writing and how the author ended the story. I would recommend.

[4.25 stars]

I thought Fire Exit was going to be more of a literary mystery involving Elizabeth’s whereabouts. It’s not that at all - in fact, that’s really in the background of this story.
This is really Charles’ story…and everything he’s dealing with in his life. Questioning his decision to allow Elizabeth’s mother to keep her paternity a secret, taking care of his mentally ill mother, revisiting his complicity in his stepfather’s death, and dealing with his alcoholic friend, Bobby.
It’s also a story about how bloodlines matter (particular to the residents of the Reservation, which creates some confusing and frustrating situations) and whether a person has a right to know their history.
It’s a quiet book with a lot of reflecting happening, but I never wanted to stop turning the pages.
There’s a lot of melancholy, but also hope and tenderness.
And, the sense of place and community in the area surrounding the Penobscot Reservation in Maine is strong.
I learned a lot about how Reservations work and about the culture on the Reservation.
You have to be in the right mood for a book like this, but I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something quiet, yet tender.

This was fine! I struggled a lot here with the front 60% or so of this book. I found the pacing to be incredibly slow and the character development not all that engaging. The story itself was promising, and I was really interested in hearing the perspective of a non-native narrator in a story like this, but again, the characterization just fell a little flat for me and the narrative itself was difficult for me to follow at times.

Even so, not a badly written book and there are some really beautiful lines in here.

Morgan Talty’s Fire Exit is a novel about a white man who is raised by a Penobscot stepfather but does not belong to the tribe. Charles, the main character, narrates the novel and slowly unveils tidbits about the people in his life; his mother has dementia, his best friend is an alcoholic, and his daughter doesn’t know he’s her biological father.

I hate to say it, but this will be my first negative review of the year! I was initially intrigued by the idea of an Indigenous book from the perspective of a non-Native outsider, but the immensely slow plot didn’t compel me to keep reading. I’m not against a novel that is a slower pace and relies on the relationships to keep the reader engaged, but the relationships between the main character and the people around him felt a bit too predictable.

This novel does have compelling themes of identity and belonging, but it just didn’t go deep enough into what it means to be on the fringes of a community. Even though Fire Exit is fiction, it reads like a memoir so if you’re a memoir lover then give this book a try!

2.5 Stars

This novel has a lot to say about family what the concepts of family bonds meant to different people, and it did so beautifully. This is a poignant piece of literary fiction bound to move you as well as get you thinking!!! Albeit I found it a bit slow moving and stagnant at times, the second half made up for that with its character exposition! Thank you, Netgalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 ⭐️

Not a huge novel, and blessed with a very small cast, yet this story packed a punch. Not a happy one, but a plangent and affecting account of secrecy, loneliness, loss and mental struggle. Talty’s writing isn’t flamboyant, indeed it verges on the understatement, yet there’s an intensity at play in this powerful stream of struggle, isolation and non communication. The landscape is dark, cold, often comfortless. The narrator isn’t part of the indigenous community, rather an onlooker, and is the same when it comes to close relationships, often literally. These simple juxtapositions occur often, yet the novel doesn’t feel trite, instead it has a glowing simplicity. Including in its conclusion. Impressive.

Great content: blood quantum and the colonial impacts on family structure told in Talty's specific form of storytelling. It took me about a quarter way to get into the fractured, non linear timeline. This is the novel I expected after his short story collection and is told in the same structure. The character terms feel fleshed out, and they pull you through until the last page.

Generations and relationships - duty of a son with his mother failing, duty of a stepson who did not go hunting and took the blame, duty of an absent father who wants to be involved. You can feel the ache in every character.

📚 Fire Exit by Morgan J. Talty 📚

Thank you so much @tin_house for the finished copy!

I burned through this one (no pun intended 😁) once I got about 50 pages in. I was so engrossed in Charles' story and experience and I needed to know what was going to happen. Not to say that it's a thriller - it's just a novel with such realistic characters whose lives are absolutely not black and white, who are struggling and who (at least I did) can still be rooted for even if they've made lots of mistakes in their lives.

It was fascinating to read a white character raised on the reservation by an Indigenous stepdad and white mom, written by an Indigenous author, and I feel like this allowed for the exploration of a lot of nuance around identity.

Highly recommend!

#FireExit

Fire Exit is a punch in the heart, the kind of novel that really does leave you heart-sore for a long time afterward.

The novel revolves around and is narrated through a man who is white and, in adulthood, was removed from his residency on an Indian reservation. His eviction and his whiteness separates him from his daughter, and from the life and culture he grew up with on the reservation. Fire Exit is the story of this man grappling with his identity as an outsider, and a story of those on the inside — Indians — who are themselves still in the process of sorting through the legacy of settler colonialism and the co-called Civilizing Mission against them. Fire Exit highlights the fluidity of identity, but also the rigid barriers which define it within ourselves and by others imposed on us. The novel exposes the messiness of relationships, especially in indigenous communities which have been so ravaged by racism and colonial ideologies.

I am reminded again how singular it is that indigenous people of North America are some of the few peoples on earth who must continually prove who they are. I recently read a piece in the New Yorker on Pretendians (typically white people who claim indigenous heritage or identity) and am struck by both the necessity of proof and how exhausting it must be as a human being. It saddens and inspires simultaneously.

The ever-present trauma of colonialism is a burden we cannot put down, any of us; and the pursuit of decolonization can never end. For that reason I am loving this wave of indigenous literature; though not “new,” it feels like indigenous writers and stories are getting more mainstream attention, reaching new audiences (like myself) who find solace and inspiration in them.

But, back to Fire Exit.

Though I cannot know what this is for indigenous people, I can say that as this is also a story about family, what it is to be a family, what is it to act out and perform family, I felt connected to a kind of universal understanding of “family” in my reading of it.

Talty is such a fantastic writer. The words just come together, like lyrics that feel familiar and yet woven together, produce a song I haven’t heard before. The mothers and fathers, daughters and sons in this novel are people we can connect with, and yet, as those living in reservations or on the edges of them, they have a unique life experience, one that I do not know (cannot know, really). I feel that Talty has made it possible for me to feel a little bit of their experience.

It is a sad novel, and a beautiful one.

This is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. Talty's writing is spare but also stunning, and he's a masterful storyteller. The pace, dialogue, and character development are just right; it feels like there's not a word out of place. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tin House for the ARC of Fire Exit. I read the book in tandem with the audiobook from RB Media. I am not at all surprised at how much I loved this. I loved Night of the Living Rez by Talty so this was one of the titles I was most excited about for this year. On the surface this is a story of a man caring for his ailing mother and grappling with this huge decision whether or not to introduce himself to his daughter who has grown up with another man as her father. But there were so many layers to this story, and I felt so many different emotions while reading it. Talty explores themes of identity and grief, of family and friendship,. I highly recommend this and Night of the Living Rez - I can't wait to see what else Morgan Talty creates!

for most of this book, you're kind of like "i wonder what's happening here." it's sort of ambling along, following a small group of characters. you've been dropped right in the middle of someone's life, and the narrator is not doing any more to explain where you are or why than someone's internal monologue would happen to touch on. for the first 200 pages, you'll just be like, "this is kind of weird." not bad, not good, not memorable, just weird.

then for the last few dozen you will feel such a range of emotions you might catch yourself crying without noticing.

it's a very strange reading experience. i recommend it.

Thank you Tin House Books for my free ARC of Fire Exit by Morgan Talty — available Jun 4!

Read this if you:
🐘 love rich characters and complicated relationships
🤐 ever struggled with keeping a secret
🔥 are looking for a read that'll grip you from page one

Charles has spent his entire life feeling like he doesn't quite belong, complicated by a secret about the identity of his twenty-year-old daughter and by living on a reservation he has no blood ties to. Now, Charles is guiding his mother through her worsening dementia and his best friend Bobby through his alcoholism, but he's noticed that his daughter is missing — where is she? Is Charles to blame for a missing person yet again?

Y'all, this story sucked me in and still hasn't let go. I'll be thinking about Charles for a long time to come! I found Talty's writing in this book absolutely captivating — the characters are all excellent and empathetic, and the relationship between Charles and his mother truly wowed me. This isn't a very happy story, but it packs an emotional punch without being depressing.

Fire Exit is Morgan Talty's debut novel, and I'm so impressed by it. I love his short stories, so I'm ultra pleased to see him succeed at a longer format. This book is a subtle weaving of many individual stories into a compelling narrative, and I love it so much. Definitely will read anything else he comes out with!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Blood Credentials

With 2022’s brilliant collection, “Night of the Living Rez,” and now with his debut novel, “Fire Exit,” Morgan Talty has stepped up as one of our most exciting writers. Centering around life in Maine’s Penobscot Reservation, these books are not only insights into Native American issues, but they also explore universal themes of family, inclusion, and identity.

In “Fire Exit,” Charles Lamosway lives just outside the Penobscot Reservation– directly across the river from his daughter, Elizabeth, who is now in her early twenties and unaware that Charles is her father. Charles is not Penobscot, but Elizabeth’s mother, Mary, and the man she has married are. Because Charles does not have the tribe’s blood in him, Elizabeth would technically be excluded from tribal membership.

Charles grew up on the reservation because his mother married a member. Once Charles turned 18, he was forced to move off– a common practice. When Mary became pregnant, she convinced him to keep their secret, otherwise Elizabeth would be exposed below the 25 percent Blood Quantum level the Penobscots accept.

Blood Quantum is the measurement determining who can and who cannot claim tribal standing. It is a rating, a ranking originally imposed by the government to whittle down the numbers of the Native American population. Many tribes embraced the practice as a self-protective practice, often in the fear that any benefits would be diluted by swollen numbers. It has effectively split cultures and arbitrarily sent souls into exile.

This whole Blood Quantum equation has paralyzed Charles. For over twenty years he has quietly watched his daughter grow up. The longing to tell her and his inability to do so has eaten him alive. A virtual outsider at this point, he longs to share his bond with his daughter, even as the rest of his family dissolves. His stepfather tragically died in a hunting accident that his mother blames him for. She rarely recognizes him anymore, as she is stumbling deeper and deeper into dementia.

And then Charles discovers that something is wrong with Elizabeth. He decides he must tell her the truth. Her truth.

Identity is a huge issue here. Elizabeth has never been told who her real father is. Charles was driven from where his roots are, his childhood home. The most influential person in his life, his stepfather, is gone. His mother not only rejects him, but her mindset is also irreversible. Now, finally, Charles is taking things into his own hands.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Fire Exit” and look forward to what Morgan Talty will bring in the future. A wonderful storyteller, a refreshing voice.

Thank you to Tin House Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #FireExit #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

“Fire Exit” by Morgan Talty is a nuanced exploration of family, grief, memory, and inheritance in Indigenous culture, as seen through the eyes of Charles, a white man raised on an Indigenous reservation by Frederick, an Indigenous man. Charles, who has escaped the grips of alcoholism, leads a relatively stable sober life until his estranged mother re-enters his life with advancing memory loss, prompting him to consider reconnecting with his estranged daughter, Elizabeth, who doesn’t even know they are related.

Talty’s novel is a delicate portrayal of estrangement, substance abuse, and intergenerational trauma within Indigenous communities. Through Charles’s journey, Talty unpacks the complexities of blood quantum laws and their detrimental impact on Indigenous identities, shedding light on how colonialism has disrupted concepts of belonging. As Charles grapples with his mother's declining memory, she often confuses him with Frederick, whose death in a hunting accident continues to haunt Charles. This confusion adds a layer of poignancy to the narrative, emphasizing themes of identity and memory.

Talty’s writing shines in his depiction of the intersections of class, Indigeneity, and the epidemic of substance abuse affecting almost every character. The novel’s strength lies in its exploration of Indigenous mental illness and familial dysfunction. Talty’s characters, particularly Charles, navigate the painful terrain of connecting with and feeling empowered by identities and the legacies they will leave behind.

However, the novel’s execution leaves much to be desired. While the themes are compelling, the prose is plain and unengaging. Charles, the protagonist, never fully takes shape, remaining formless even by the novel’s end. The narrative’s flow and pacing are disjointed, moving back and forth in time without maintaining a cohesive tempo. This, coupled with the bifurcated focus on Charles’s relationships with his mother and daughter, gives the sense of two separate novels awkwardly interwoven. Despite thematic overlaps, the abrupt shifts between these relationships create a jarring reading experience.

One of the most problematic aspects of the book is the random single use of the R slur towards the end. This derogatory term is spoken by Elizabeth, Charles’s daughter, and it’s one of her few lines in the entire book. The use of this slur felt unnecessary and ableist, lacking proper narrative context and severely detracting from any positive impact the novel might have had. This choice by the author overshadowed the entire narrative, making it a book I am unlikely to recommend.

In conclusion, while “Fire Exit” tackles important themes, its execution falters due to unremarkable prose, disjointed pacing, and an inexplicable use of ableist language. Talty’s exploration of Indigenous identities, mental health, and family dynamics is commendable, but these merits are overshadowed by the novel’s shortcomings. For readers deeply invested in stories about Indigenous experiences, there may be elements of value, but overall, this book misses the mark for a cohesive and respectful narrative.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Abandonment (moderate), child abuse (severe), homophobia (severe), gun violence (moderate), dementia (severe), fire (severe), death of a parent (severe), ableism (minor).

Charles Lamosway had agreed to Mary’s plan to say that their daughter, Elizabeth, was another man’s child so that Elizabeth would have exactly enough blood to be enrolled as a Penobscot, gaining personal identity and political and social rights. But, now, years later, Charles was tired of holding a secret and he wanted his daughter to know the truth. Charles knew little about Elizabeth except what Mary would share when she’d come to check up on him and to see if he was drinking. Those visits stopped twenty-three or twenty-four years ago, but Charles could view Mary’s home from his front porch across the river on Maine’s Penobscot Reservation and could glimpse Elizabeth.

Charles had built his home with the help of his late step-father, Frederick, a member of the Penobscot tribe, who raised Charles on the reservation and whom Charles considered his father. “It was Frederick’s love that made me feel Native.” After a new law had been enacted that barred non—Natives from remaining on the reservation when they came of age, Frederick bought some land to build a house for Charles. It was purely coincidental that Frederick had bought land across the river from the house where Elizabeth was raised. “I had no idea how important that place would be to me, or the role it would play in my being able to see her.”

Charles’ urge to tell Elizabeth the truth about her parentage escalates after a chance encounter with Mary who cryptically told Charles that Elizabeth “could be better, but she’ll be OK.” Charles wrestles with how to help Elizabeth while reluctantly tending to his mother, Louise, who suffered from severe depression throughout her life, is now stricken with dementia, and has been estranged from her son, blaming Charles for Frederick’s death in a hunting accident. While contending with filial obligations and constraints, Charles’ alcoholic and big-hearted friend, Bobby, invites Charles, whose life seemed so empty, to leave Maine with him and forge a new life.

Talty has written an absorbing debut novel that is written in muscular, spare prose, but is tender and haunting. Talty grapples with family and difficult choices concerning love and responsibility, culture, identity and belonging. This is a melancholy journey through one man’s damaged history told with compassion and grace. Thank you Tin House Books and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this moving novel that is a must read.

🎬 Read this if you like:
The Savages
Smoke Signals
⏰ Best time to read:
Before signing up for 23andMe
📝 Themes:
Literary Fiction, Family, Identity, Penobscot Nation, Blood Quantum, Mental Illness, Dementia, Loss
👍 What I liked:
This is literary fiction at its finest! If you like character-driven novels, this is an absolute must-read. It’s the best book I’ve read so far in 2024.
❓ Synopsis: Charles grew up on the Penobscot Reservation with his mother Louise and stepfather Fredrick. Being white, Charles was legally required to move out of the Nation when he turned 18. Now living across the river from his childhood home and friends, Charles longs for his daughter, Elizabeth, to know that he is her father. Meanwhile, Charles rekindles his relationship with his ailing mother. As Charles begins caring for Louise, his desire for his child to know her full history intensifies.
📣 Review: Wow! I devoured this absolutely incredible book! Talty is an exceptionally talented writer and his characters are flawed yet superbly sympathetic. At the same time, Fire Exit tackles colonialism, mental health, and the true meaning of family. I can’t recommend this one enough!