Pony Boy by Eliot Duncan – National Book Award Long List

Paris. A bar. A back room. An apartment where everything is quietly coming apart.

Our protagonist is a trans man, electrically so, caught in the widening gap between who he is and the blank canvas his girlfriend, Baby, wants him to be. From Paris to Berlin, he sinks deeper into drugs, falls for a man named Gabriel, and is chased by a photographer hungry for the next hot thing. As his relationships crumble, the story builds toward an overdose, and then, cut to open sky.

Back home in Iowa, in a rehab far from the city lights, he becomes his mother’s son again. That’s where this debut novel finds its heart.

Written in precise, atmospheric prose, this is a story about addiction, desire, and the ache and joy of becoming yourself. It’s raw in places and tender in others, and it’s the kind of book that lingers long after the last page.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Literary fiction with a bold, cinematic voice
• LGBTQ+ and transgender stories told with honesty and care
• Character-driven novels about identity, love, and recovery
• Stories to carry down to the water and read in one sitting

Our staff would be glad to pair it with your next browse through the shop, whether you’re nestled in a corner by the window or planning a seaside afternoon on the Marginal Way. This trade paperback is ready for your shelf.

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