Author Talk
* Saturday, May 4, 11:00 am

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Fiction

* A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice *

“A vibrant novel that combines slapstickcomedy with poignancy.” —The New Yorker

Elizabeth McKenzie, the National Book Award–nominated author of The Portable Veblen, follows Penny on her quest for a fresh start. There will be a road trip in the Dog of the North, an old van with gingham curtains, a piñata, and stiff brakes.

There will be injury and peril. There will be a dog named Kweecoats and two brothers who may share a toupee.

There will be questions: Why is a detective investigating her grandmother? What is “the Scintillator”? And can Penny recognize a good thing when it finally comes her way?

This slyly humorous, thoroughly winsome novel finds the purpose in life’s curveballs, insisting that even when we are painfully warped by those we love most, we can be brought closer to our truest selves.