Abscond: A Short Story of Grief, Belonging, and Memory — In the Style of Abraham Verghese

by Robert J. Jake

In the quiet shadows of an immigrant home, where silence often says more than words, Abscond tells the poignant story of a young man navigating love, loss, and the invisible threads that tie him to a past he thought he had outgrown.

Inspired by the emotional depth and cultural sensitivity of Abraham Verghese, this beautifully written short story explores the spaces between generations, the ache of abandonment, and the weight of memory. When Ravi disappears without a trace, his younger brother is left to piece together what’s been lost — from the smell of Amma’s cooking to the sound of a tennis ball striking clay on summer mornings.

Set between the suffocating heat of New Jersey suburbia and the imagined pull of a home left behind in India, Abscond is a story about those who leave, those who stay, and those who never get the chance to choose.

For readers of literary fiction who are drawn to themes of identity, grief, immigrant family dynamics, and coming of age, Abscond offers a deeply personal narrative that lingers long after the final page.

117 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2025