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!

I absolutely loved Talty’s writing in Night of the Living Rez and I was thrilled to see he had written a novel. I went into this one pretty blind and I was so incredibly impressed with what I found. While Night of the Living Rez contained horror elements, Fire Exit is a lot different than that, leaning heavy on literary fiction. Talty’s protagonist in Fire Exit is also very different in terms of where he is in life. I can’t help but feel very impressed with the range Talty can write in.

The novel itself is a slow burn, taking the reader through mundane moments of everyday life combined with the sometimes repetitive and meandering thoughts and memories of Charles, sprinkling in bigger events that happen. The build up in this one made me grow attached to the characters and had me a sobbing mess at the end. Talty weaves his story around topics of family, mental illness, addiction, bloodlines, culture and inheritance and manages to say so much within the 250ish pages. Overall I really loved this one and can’t wait for whatever Talty has in store next.

Morgan Talty’s Fire Exit is a literary examination of identity, race, modern colonization, and parenthood. Though it started off slow, as the book picked up it became clearer that the future was uncertain for this main character. The ending left me breathless.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free a-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"It’s strange: all blood looks the same, yet it’s different, we’re told, in so many various ways and for so many various reasons. But one thing is for certain, I thought: you are who you are, even if you don’t know it."

Night of the Living Rez is one of my favorite story collections, and Morgan Talty has done it again with his debut novel. This author has an amazing ability to write human emotions. Charles was a great main character to follow; I really felt for him, and he felt like a real person with real, complex relationships and trauma. His relationship with his mother, his step-father's death in a hunting accident, his estranged relationship with the mother of daughter who doesn't know he is her father were all nuanced and handled extremely well. It feels like Talty writes just enough to make you feel things, but leaves enough unsaid to let the reader draw their own conclusions about things. Also had great conversations about identity and blood quantum requirements.

Charles Lamosway grew up on the Maine Penobscot Reservation with his stepfather and his biological mother. His mother has been suffering from depression for as long as he can remember. He has no recollections of his blood father and his stepfather Fredrick more than fills the void. However, Charles is not native as defined by the Quantum Blood Rules and he cannot inhabit the Reservation once he turns 18. This has far-reaching effects on all his relationships and his identity and sense of community. He is forced to give up the love of his life and his daughter so that they may continue to reside on the Reservation. The novel is a beautiful character study which explores the issue of what it means to belong and at the same time not belong. There are several sub-stories within the main story. I went in thinking this is a mystery but it turned out to be an evocative exploration of complex family relationships between parents and their offspring. And an important underlying message: no matter how we may run and hide, we cannot escape our genes and our family legacy.

Thank you NetGalley, Tin House Publishing and Morgan Talty for the ARC.

3.5

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

As he did with the stories in Night of the Living Rez, Talty writes with a quietness that brings a lot of dignity to his characters amidst hardship, loss, and failure. This novel feels more ambitious than the earlier short story collection: the main character’s, Charles, relationships–or lack of–with his daughter, his stepfather, and his ill mother who sometimes doesn’t remember who he is are used to begin an exploration of identity and who gets to have a say in that. The ending felt too easy and although satisfying in some ways, shortchanged a nuanced perspective on identity.

I will be looking for more of Morgan Talty’s writing. I like his writing style and how he quietly elucidates who people are by accompanying his characters in their routine interactions and shared histories with friends and family.

⭐️ 3.5

Morgan Talty's writing was heartbreakingly beautiful in Fire Exit. The last third or so of the book gripped me and I was so eager to find out what would happen next with each page turn.

However, it left me wanting for more. I liked that the ending wrapped up everything in a nice bow, but I wish we had gotten to see more of the relationship between Charles and Elizabeth. The book felt like it was mostly about the relationship between Charles and Bobby and Charles and his mother.

That being said, I enjoyed Fire Exit and am eager to read more of Talty's work in the future!

Although I think that Talty's somewhat dreamlike prose gives me some difficulty trying to keep the flow of the story, overall I found it quite the poignant read - touching upon a wide range of themes ranging from family, to mental health, to belonging, and so, so much more, leaving an immense amount of material to reflect upon.

Fire Exit was my entrance into the mind and writing of Morgan Talty though I'd heard (repeatedly!!) wonderful things about his award-winning short story collection - "Night of the Living Rez." That word of mouth is what prompted me to request this novel. So grateful to #netgalley and #TinHouseBooks for the arc. I have much more to learn about the author, biographically, but it was clear that the main character, Charles Lamosway, embodied more than a passing similarity to the author..

In the foreward to the book, Talty outlines crucial information that helps to inform the plot of this novel. This included information related to bloodline, legacy, and the historical origins of "laws" made by the US federal government which reduced and classified Indigenous people in unfathomable ways thereafter. A person's "real life" and status were determined by information recorded in "The Book" which denoted a family's/individual's percentage of, in this case, Penobscot blood. This is what allowed enrollment as a member of the tribe. a place on the reservation, the chance to belong and to have a home.

In this foreward, the author explains that an individual needs at least 25% "blood quantum" -- these laws created by the government to classify and legally define racial statuses. For years and years, Charles Lamosway had been an outside observer to what he believes is his true and meaningful life across the water from the daughter he "gave up" for the sake of allowing her inclusion to the reservation - to the benefits and sense of belonging. Apparently, admitting Charles was her paternal father would disqualify her from these things based upon blood quantum laws. But Charlies has grown increasingly conflicted and begins to feel it is his duty to let her know the truth.

The stakes are already very high and then a series of exacerbating circumstances occur in conjunction with this building tension.

This novel is about paternity, power, secrets, and what constitutes family. It's about genetic legacy -- body, mind, and spirit. It's a hero's journey filled with life-changing decisions -- decisions which greatly impact all of the characters in the novel.

No spoilers by saying that Louise, Charles's mother, was the single most enigmatic, touching, and multidimensional character for me. The daughter Elizabeth ("Ellie") and Louise carried this novel levels about the already strong plot outlined above and brought historical damage down to a deeply personal level. The characters were incredible - memorable (from Bobby to the "neighbor" to the stepfather to Ellie's mother, Mary).

Fire Exit is a compelling, multilayered story, about selfishness and selflessness. Legacies and loneliness. The story alternates between two timelines (moving back and forth to provide crucial backstories on different characters) and looks at the cultural, medical, psychological, and spiritual impact of bloodlines and discrimination. I loved this novel.

#FireExit is on shelves on Tuesday, June 4th

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Fire Exit,” Morgan Talty’s debut novel, is an exploration of identity, legacy, and the indelible marks of the past.

Set against the backdrop of Maine’s Penobscot Reservation, the story follows Charles Lamosway, a man grappling with the weight of his history and the secrets that have shaped his life.

Talty, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, crafts a narrative that is both intimate and expansive, delving into the complexities of belonging and the pain of estrangement. Charles, raised by his white mother and Native American stepfather, is haunted by the choices he made and the relationships he abandoned. Now, as he watches his mother succumb to dementia and contemplates the daughter he never knew, Charles’s story unfolds as a meditation on the stories we tell ourselves and the truths we hide from.

The novel’s structure is a testament to Talty’s skillful storytelling, weaving together past and present in a tapestry of vivid character portraits and emotional landscapes. The prose is rich and evocative, capturing the stark beauty of the reservation and the turbulent waters of Charles’s inner life. The narrative is a quiet storm, building tension and emotion with each page, leading to a climax that is both inevitable and surprising.

“Fire Exit” is a novel that resonates with authenticity and heart, and earns 5 stars from this book reviewer.

Talty’s characters are rendered with depth and clarity, their struggles and desires palpable on the page. The themes of family, culture, and inheritance are explored with sensitivity and insight, making “Fire Exit” a deeply moving read.

🔥”Fire Exit”🔥
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartbreaking. Untouchable. “Fire Exit” by Morgan Talty is a slow-moving intimate tale of Charles, an outsider who watches his little girl grow up across the river.

Growing up alongside the Penobscot community, Charles never fully belonged to the tribe since he had no blood relation. Integrated by the marriage of his mother to his stepfather, Charles struggles to find his place in “a pursuit of only remains” and is haunted by a hunting accident.

This lit fic is a powerful short read (235 pages) that brings you close to its protagonist through a fireside chat like narration. I loved the wise old soul like reflective narration the author chose to go with.

The book looks at how much of the truth we owe others and the importance of the history that makes us. Read if you like “Berry Pickers” or family drama novels.

Thanks to @tinhouse and @NetGalley for the #advancedreaderscopy.

I am very thankful the media group, the publisher, Netgalley, and Morgan Talty for granting me advanced digital and audio access to this book before it hits shelves on June 4, 2024, but it just wasn't for me.

I feel like this was falsely advertised, was more about a man caring for his aging mother and alcoholic friend rather than the mystery of his daughter. It kept me engaged but unsure how long it will stay with me.

I have been waiting on something new from him ever since I read Night of The Living Rez. This book did not disappoint! I loved this so much! I can't wait for his next book!