2019 PEN/Hemingway Award Shortlist

Orange’s debut novel lives up to its hype and features a chorus of different voices, all Native Americans living in Oakland, California. Funny, devastating, thrilling, and smart, “There There” is a vivid, character-driven story with the city itself a character. Born and raised in Oakland, Orange brings the city to life in rich, gritty, loving strokes.

Imagine a crossover episode between “The Office” and “The Walking Dead,” and you’ve got Ling Ma’s terrific first novel. It somehow manages to satirize everything from careerism to apocalyptic thrillers without sacrificing empathy or believability. A super smart page-turner.

The plot of Nico Walker’s autofiction-debut is pretty astounding, all the more so because it so closely tracks his own biography (he was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for bank robbery). From life as an army medic serving in Iraq, to a heroin addict, to a serial bank robber, Walker has plenty of material to mine. He has an assured voice, smart but not pretentious, and renders everything with a flowing, engrossing style that’s unique while remaining accessible.