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People Watching in the Desert
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jul 26A funny and big-hearted novel for readers of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Remarkably Bright Creatures, about a lonely young woman who prefers to observe the world rather than participate in it, and the seismic repercussions that follow when she steps out of her own bubble.
Sonny Magee has spent most of her life alone, finding comfort in quiet solitude and scribbling in the private pages of her notebook. She lost her loving but troubled mother in childhood and was raised by an indifferent, sometimes cruel grandmother who left her scarred and naïve about life.
When Sonny mysteriously comes into a large sum of money, she finds herself in Arizona, at the luxury Sanctuary Resort & Spa. Out of her element and her comfort zone, she struggles with the spa’s doting staff and the unfamiliar wealth and constant small talk of her fellow guests.
Forced proximity introduces her to a cadre of eccentrics, and something akin to romance blossoms with a resort employee. Yet Sonny still feels most at peace when people watching from the margins, headphones on and scrawling in her notebook. But when a freak accident disturbs Sanctuary's carefully curated tranquility, a shocking twist crumbles Sonny’s inner world, and she finds herself unexpectedly—and maybe even pleasantly—surprised by the people around her.
Sonny Magee has spent most of her life alone, finding comfort in quiet solitude and scribbling in the private pages of her notebook. She lost her loving but troubled mother in childhood and was raised by an indifferent, sometimes cruel grandmother who left her scarred and naïve about life.
When Sonny mysteriously comes into a large sum of money, she finds herself in Arizona, at the luxury Sanctuary Resort & Spa. Out of her element and her comfort zone, she struggles with the spa’s doting staff and the unfamiliar wealth and constant small talk of her fellow guests.
Forced proximity introduces her to a cadre of eccentrics, and something akin to romance blossoms with a resort employee. Yet Sonny still feels most at peace when people watching from the margins, headphones on and scrawling in her notebook. But when a freak accident disturbs Sanctuary's carefully curated tranquility, a shocking twist crumbles Sonny’s inner world, and she finds herself unexpectedly—and maybe even pleasantly—surprised by the people around her.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 14, 2026
2 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 28, 2026
People Watching in the Desert is a fantastic debut novel. The characters are intriguing, heartfelt and a bit odd, showcasing unique idiosyncrasies that speak in both a light hearted and serious way to what it means to be humans with different backgrounds and baggage.
The descriptions of the settings and environments make the images easily come to mind, but things are written in a way that one has freedom to dream and imagine as a reader what one is to be reading.
A must read for anyone who has ever asked What If? in any social setting, and a perfect novel to read to share with friends, just like Alanna would, or alone, like Sonny.
The descriptions of the settings and environments make the images easily come to mind, but things are written in a way that one has freedom to dream and imagine as a reader what one is to be reading.
A must read for anyone who has ever asked What If? in any social setting, and a perfect novel to read to share with friends, just like Alanna would, or alone, like Sonny.
Displaying 1 of 1 review