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Back to topBut Not for Long: A Novel (Paperback)
December 2009 Indie Next List
“Three members of a sustainable foods cooperative struggle to sort out their own lives in a compelling story that engages themes that are very relevant to our contemporary world. But Not for Long is one of those books that entertains and illuminates.”
— Melissa Olm, The Reader's Loft, Green Bay, WI
Description
Greta has left her old life behind and moved into a sustainable foods co-op in Madison, Wisconsin. Just as she begins to settle in with her two housemates, the husband she left behind appears on their porch, drunk. His arrival begins a dark three-day period during which all three residents of the house will have to reckon with a disquietude lurking under the surface of their little society. A series of summer blackouts, gas shortages, and an ominous disappearance will force them all out into a larger world that seems everywhere on the verge of crisis.
About the Author
Michelle Wildgen is a senior editor at Tin House. Her first novel, You’re Not You, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and one of People Magazine’s Ten Best Books of 2006, is now in development for film by Hilary Swank and Denise DiNovi. She is also the author of the acclaimed novel But Not for Long. Wildgen’s work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, and literary journals including Prairie Schooner and TriQuarterly.
Praise For…
“A stirring meditation on modern angst and the meaning of selflessness.” —Joanna Powell, People
“What if the apocalypse comes gently, this memorable book asks, not with a bang or a blaze but with the silence of refrigerators no longer buzzing and the 'fuzzy dandelions of candlelight floating past the curtains'?” —Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, The New York Times Book Review
“Wildgen is great at catching the moments of connection and conflict between people. . . .Her characters are touching and believable, her place descriptions vivid.” —Emily Carter, Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)
“A sensitively conceived and crafted novel.” —Barbara Fisher, The Boston Globe