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And in the Dark They Are Born
When Vitri returns from a day of scavenging downtown Waco, Texas he discovers that his wife has killed herself and their young son. Eager for answers, Vitri does what nearly everyone did after the he leaves town.
Meanwhile, in Monroe, Louisiana, Reyn, a deaf thirteen-year-old lives with her addict mother in a Jeep. By day, they drive from hospital to hospital in search of supplies. By night, they trade those supplies with the yellow-masked tribe controlling the highway. When tragedy lurks within one particular hospital, Reyn feels there's no choice but to head northwest, toward the father she hopes she still has.
The paths of Reyn and Vitri boldly converge and, as they learn to communicate with one another, Reyn and Vitri are forced to confront their pasts, their grief, and to weigh whether or not the path they've elected to share is wide enough for the two of them.
And in the Dark They Are Born is a novel from a fresh voice in literary fiction, and is a great fit for fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Charles Portis's True Grit .
Meanwhile, in Monroe, Louisiana, Reyn, a deaf thirteen-year-old lives with her addict mother in a Jeep. By day, they drive from hospital to hospital in search of supplies. By night, they trade those supplies with the yellow-masked tribe controlling the highway. When tragedy lurks within one particular hospital, Reyn feels there's no choice but to head northwest, toward the father she hopes she still has.
The paths of Reyn and Vitri boldly converge and, as they learn to communicate with one another, Reyn and Vitri are forced to confront their pasts, their grief, and to weigh whether or not the path they've elected to share is wide enough for the two of them.
And in the Dark They Are Born is a novel from a fresh voice in literary fiction, and is a great fit for fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Charles Portis's True Grit .
304 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2023
About the author
Garrett Francis
17 books1 followerGarrett grew up on a small farm in Michigan and earned his B.A. in Creative Writing from Grand Valley State University.
In 2012, he co-founded Squalorly, a digital literary journal of the Midwest and served as its nonfiction editor until 2014.
In 2016, founded Orson’s Publishing in 2016, a micro press and served as the press’s sole editor (and designer, and publicist, among other roles) until its closure in 2020, publishing four book-length works by new and emerging authors.
He also founded Orson’s Review in 2017, a digital literary journal that served as a companion to its parent press, publishing fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and photography. He served as the sole editor of Orson’s Review as well, and is proud to have helped bring the work of over 70 international contributors to life.
Today, Garrett lives in Seattle, Washington with his family. He keeps a day job and when he isn’t working or writing, he tries to be outside as much as he can—camping, hiking, kayaking, and just generally wandering.
In 2012, he co-founded Squalorly, a digital literary journal of the Midwest and served as its nonfiction editor until 2014.
In 2016, founded Orson’s Publishing in 2016, a micro press and served as the press’s sole editor (and designer, and publicist, among other roles) until its closure in 2020, publishing four book-length works by new and emerging authors.
He also founded Orson’s Review in 2017, a digital literary journal that served as a companion to its parent press, publishing fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and photography. He served as the sole editor of Orson’s Review as well, and is proud to have helped bring the work of over 70 international contributors to life.
Today, Garrett lives in Seattle, Washington with his family. He keeps a day job and when he isn’t working or writing, he tries to be outside as much as he can—camping, hiking, kayaking, and just generally wandering.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 13, 2025
And in the Dark They Are Born poignantly and thoughtfully explores the nuances and complexities of life-like humans in a cruel, ravaged world--the horrors they're willing to do to survive and protect their loved ones, the surprising kindness that grows in the hearts of some from what was once a ruthless void. While reading And in the Dark They Are Born, I was blown away by how Garrett Francis pushes the bounds of possibilities in creative writing. The novel unravels in a lyrically cinematic fashion, something yet rare and incomprehensible in literature.
February 14, 2025
I love a good apocalypse story - this is a great one. It reminds me of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" in the way it focuses on just two people, Reyn and Vitri, and the desperate loneliness that leads them to band together - with tragic results. Garrett Francis is a remarkable writer, and the twists and turns of this story are surprising and fresh.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews