Wayward: A Novel

When Samantha Raymond finds a beautifully wrecked house in downtown Syracuse, her reaction to it is swift, intense, and undeniable. Without telling her husband, Mark, she buys the house; in doing so, they both realize that she’s leaving him. Mark treats the decision with calm compassion, but her teenage daughter, Ally, stops talking to her. Samantha attempts to settle into her new life, although she can’t separate from Mark completely because she still relies on his financial support. Her new life has its difficulties. She is uneasy in her new neighborhood, fearing robberies and strangers; her mother’s health is precarious. When Samantha witnesses a horrific act of violence, her entire worldview and sense of self are upended.

Set during the months following the 2016 election, when women began navigating a world that was newly threatening and uncertain, Wayward gives readers a woman overcome with a primal desire for safety and home, overwhelmed by the questions and concerning changes of middle age. Spiotta pulls no punches in her descriptions of suburban mores, and this affecting novel shines a bright light on motherhood, marriage, feminism, and social activism in the post-election world.