Bear

Description

A mesmerizing novel of two sisters whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor—a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods, by the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth

“Thrilling and propulsive, glorious and terrifying. Julia Phillips is a brilliant writer.”—Ann Patchett

They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.

Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.

Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.

A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us—Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.“Intense, moody, fierce, and relentlessly suspenseful, Bear is a modern-day fairy tale about the tenacious bonds and complexities of sisterhood. Readers will fall in love with these enchanting characters, as I did, and root for them to the breathtaking end.”—Angie Kim, bestselling author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek

“Mythical and enchanting, Phillips’s second novel delves into sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among—and within—us all.”—Oprah Daily (One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2024)

“Phillips once again tells a story of two sisters in a remote setting, this time on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where they encounter a strange creature in the woods.”—Publishers Weekly (One of the 10 Most Anticipated Books of the New Year)

“Bear is a story of life on the margins—economically and geographically—of the American project, exploring the bonds of family and the warped relationship between humans and the natural world. There is something unsettling and uncanny about Julia Phillips’s wondrous second book, less a novel than a fairy tale for the strange times in which we live.”—Rumaan Alam, bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, finalist for the National Book Award

“Building with quiet fury to its astonishing ending, Bear will capture your heart and mind. I read in a state of wonder.”—Jessamine Chan, bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers

“Bear is the brutal cage of the real world and the magical animal within. Julia Phillips has written a book of untamed, glorious, abundant interpretations.”—Megha Majumdar, bestselling author of A Burning

“In this haunting fable of two sisters determined to steer their own destiny, Julia Phillips evokes the unsettling ways in which the wilder forces of the world around us will never allow us to tame them. I was spellbound.”—Julia Glass, bestselling author of Vigil Harbor and Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award

“Phillips is brilliant at balancing sharply drawn characters with finely woven plot and unnerving atmosphere.”—Lit Hub

“Bear takes us to a wild, captivating place, just as Phillips did in her debut, Disappearing Earth.”—BookpageJulia Phillips is the bestselling author of the novel Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. She lives with her family in Brooklyn.US

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