For fans of Jennifer Egan Jonathan Franzen Lorrie Moore and Curtis Sittenfeld Among the Ten Thousand Things is a dazzling first novel a portrait of an American family on the cusp of irrevocable change and a startlingly original story of love and time lost Jack Shanley is a well-known New York artist charming and vain who doesnrsquot mean to plunge his family into crisis His wife Deb gladly left behind a difficult career as a dancer to raise the two children she adores In the ensuing years she has mostly avoided coming face-to-face with the weaknesses of the man she married But then an anonymously sent package arrives in the mail a cardboard box containing sheaves of printed emails chronicling Jackrsquos secret life The package is addressed to Deb but itrsquos delivered into the wrong hands her childrenrsquos With this vertiginous opening begins a debut that is by turns funny wise and indescribably moving As the Shanleys spin apart into separate orbits leaving New York in an attempt to regain their bearings fifteen-year-old Simon feels the allure of adult freedoms for the first time while eleven-year-old Kay wanders precariously into a grown-up world she canrsquot possibly understand Writing with extraordinary precision humor and beauty Julia Pierpont has crafted a timeless hugely enjoyable novel about the bonds of family lifemdashtheir brittleness and their resilience Advance praise for Among the Ten Thousand Things ldquoThis book is one of the funniest and most emotionally honest Irsquove read in a long timerdquomdashJonathan Safran Foer ldquoRemarkable Pierpont displays not only wisdom but real tact as a writer knowing how much to say how much to leave out how much to implyrdquomdashColm Toacuteibiacuten ldquoEvery page of this gorgeous novel contains such joys that you wonrsquot want to stop reading for anythingrdquomdashJ Courtney Sullivan ldquoPoignant surprising and fiercely intelligentAmong the Ten Thousand Thingsis about the sturdiness and tremendous delicacy of the bonds between parents and children Donrsquot miss this powerful debutrdquomdashMegan AbbottldquoA vicious and enchanting portrait of a fragmenting family that will leave you hungry for whatever Julia Pierpont does nextrdquomdashCourtney Maum ldquoSharply observed and deeply illuminating Among the Ten Thousand Things marks the beginning of what is sure to be a brilliant careerrdquomdashElliott Holt ldquoWhy arenrsquot there more first or second or seventh novels like Among the Ten Thousand Things Thatrsquos what I asked myself as I readmdashactually devouredmdashJulia Pierpontrsquos debut My conclusion Very few writers at any point in their lives can produce prose of the sort yoursquoll find hererdquomdashSean Wilsey ldquoAmong the Ten Thousand Things succeeds in being both heartbreaking and funny Itrsquos a wry sly look at a privileged New York upbringing and the ultimate loneliness at the heart of itrdquomdashMary Gordon ldquoThe perennial theme of marital infidelity is given a brisk insightful and sophisticated turn in Pierpontrsquos impressive debut This novel leaves an indelible portrait of lives blown off courserdquomdashPublishers Weekly starred reviewldquoA treat for fans of Jonathan Franzen Jami Attenberg and Emma Straub shows off an exciting new voice on the literary landscaperdquomdashLibrary Journal starred review.
