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LABOR
Seven years since he left home.
Seven countries.
Seven names. Each adapted to where he was.
Seven lives. All temporary. All laborious.
Now on a drill rig in the desert. Twelve-hour days, every day. No weekends. No variety. Just the same loop, over and over.
The visa is the goal. Guaranteed by contract. A signed bond between the company and himself. He has spent years on short visas, always moving. He just wants a life that doesn’t have an expiry date.
Months into work, he is paired with an older driller. A quiet man, reading by the fire. No speeches. No shortcuts. The shift, done right, every day.
Rod by rod, page by page.
The work will change him. It will not save him.
Mark Bonen. This time he keeps the name.
A novella about discipline, belonging, and the cost of building a life on a promise.
A short, affecting story of one man’s search for stability and dignity.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In the allegorical novella Labor, a man’s unceasing work and sense of determination come to subsume his end goals.”
—Foreword Clarion Review
“The author impressively succeeds. Readers who appreciate a spare, literary style will admire this story.”
—BlueInk Review
“An excellent read. Flawlessly written, this novella will appeal to many people.”
—Reedsy Discovery
Seven countries.
Seven names. Each adapted to where he was.
Seven lives. All temporary. All laborious.
Now on a drill rig in the desert. Twelve-hour days, every day. No weekends. No variety. Just the same loop, over and over.
The visa is the goal. Guaranteed by contract. A signed bond between the company and himself. He has spent years on short visas, always moving. He just wants a life that doesn’t have an expiry date.
Months into work, he is paired with an older driller. A quiet man, reading by the fire. No speeches. No shortcuts. The shift, done right, every day.
Rod by rod, page by page.
The work will change him. It will not save him.
Mark Bonen. This time he keeps the name.
A novella about discipline, belonging, and the cost of building a life on a promise.
A short, affecting story of one man’s search for stability and dignity.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In the allegorical novella Labor, a man’s unceasing work and sense of determination come to subsume his end goals.”
—Foreword Clarion Review
“The author impressively succeeds. Readers who appreciate a spare, literary style will admire this story.”
—BlueInk Review
“An excellent read. Flawlessly written, this novella will appeal to many people.”
—Reedsy Discovery
168 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 5, 2026
This wasn’t what I was expecting but to be fair, I am not entirely sure what I was expecting.
I do really enjoy novellas or vignettes and this grabbed my attention. I liked the plain cover, and the description grabbed me.
This was quite the journey, both figuratively and literally (no pun intended). Unfortunately, we all knew where this was going and the undercurrent of hopefulness and determination from Mark was both sweet and sad simultaneously. The challenges migrants face in day to day lives is not often thought about from this perspective and it made for a hard read, especially towards the end.
This is a good recommend for those who are looking for inspiration to conquer the monotony of everyday life and the challenges we can face.
Touches on self-medicating, alcohol reliance.
A simple yet poignant story!
I do really enjoy novellas or vignettes and this grabbed my attention. I liked the plain cover, and the description grabbed me.
This was quite the journey, both figuratively and literally (no pun intended). Unfortunately, we all knew where this was going and the undercurrent of hopefulness and determination from Mark was both sweet and sad simultaneously. The challenges migrants face in day to day lives is not often thought about from this perspective and it made for a hard read, especially towards the end.
This is a good recommend for those who are looking for inspiration to conquer the monotony of everyday life and the challenges we can face.
Touches on self-medicating, alcohol reliance.
A simple yet poignant story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sparse, fast, and quietly brutal. Think Hemingway, or more recently Szalay's Flesh.
LABOR is set between a red desert drill rig and a grey city, and is written in three parts: The Body, The Mind, The Spirit. Each one takes Mark a step further.
Nogia never explains. He trusts the reader all the way: the colours of the Genesis that come back, the girlfriends, the beer count.
The realism and sensory detail are exceptional, especially on the rig. I felt I was there.
Overall, even if the setting is unusual, the story reads almost like a parable, thoughts or realisations we've all had at some point in our lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orange Pen Editions for the ARC. I really enjoyed it.
LABOR is set between a red desert drill rig and a grey city, and is written in three parts: The Body, The Mind, The Spirit. Each one takes Mark a step further.
Nogia never explains. He trusts the reader all the way: the colours of the Genesis that come back, the girlfriends, the beer count.
The realism and sensory detail are exceptional, especially on the rig. I felt I was there.
Overall, even if the setting is unusual, the story reads almost like a parable, thoughts or realisations we've all had at some point in our lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orange Pen Editions for the ARC. I really enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to netgalley and Orange Pen Editions for my copy
This was short and and straight to the point, heartbreaking to see a glimpse into what millions are going through around the work, the unnoticed work of migrants all over and their anxieties and their sacrifices and their longing for a better life. Simon's character is my favourite; he was a mentor in Mark's life and his presence changed how Mark looked at the world.
This was short and and straight to the point, heartbreaking to see a glimpse into what millions are going through around the work, the unnoticed work of migrants all over and their anxieties and their sacrifices and their longing for a better life. Simon's character is my favourite; he was a mentor in Mark's life and his presence changed how Mark looked at the world.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was itching for a Novella and stumbled across Labor in my search, and was immediately sold after reading the description.
How it went was NOT what I anticipated, but I still enjoyed the journey. This is a good one for those who are looking for inspiration to conquer the challenges we face in our everyday lives as adults. The monotony of working, self-medicating, crashing, and doing it all over again.
And again.
... aaaand again.
It's a very simple story, but it gives a true nod of appreciation to the undercurrent of complexities our fellow humans are experiencing at any given moment. It will leave you with a real feeling of sonder.
Now somebody give Mark the damn visa, PLEASE.
Thank you NetGalley and Orange Pen Press for the opportunity to read this!
How it went was NOT what I anticipated, but I still enjoyed the journey. This is a good one for those who are looking for inspiration to conquer the challenges we face in our everyday lives as adults. The monotony of working, self-medicating, crashing, and doing it all over again.
And again.
... aaaand again.
It's a very simple story, but it gives a true nod of appreciation to the undercurrent of complexities our fellow humans are experiencing at any given moment. It will leave you with a real feeling of sonder.
Now somebody give Mark the damn visa, PLEASE.
Thank you NetGalley and Orange Pen Press for the opportunity to read this!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews