Description

Book Synopsis
WINNER OF THE PEN/FAULKNER PRIZE • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A BEST BOOK OF 2014: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Publishers Weekly, BuzzFeed • SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

Brad Skinner hitchhikes to New York, newly returned from three tours in Iraq, hoping to exorcise his demons and reacclimate to American society. Zou Lei, an undocumented immigrant from Central Asia, catches a bus into the city, searching for a way to get by—or at least stay out of jail. Skinner and Zou Lei meet each other in the margins of Queens, each finding something they long for in the other, and their unlikely love story becomes the beating heart of this story.

Set in the underbelly of New York, Preparation for the Next Life exposes an America as seen from the fringes of society and, in devastating detail, destroys the myth of the American Dream through two of the most remarkable characters in contemporary fiction. Powerful, realistic and raw, Preparation for the Next Life is one of the most ambitious—and necessary—novels of our time.

Preparation for the Next Life

    Product form

    A Paperback by Atticus Lish

    £17.10

    Includes FREE delivery

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Sat 24 Oct 2026.

    Out of stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish

      Book details

      Publisher Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
      Published 8 May 2025
      ISBN-13 9798217008179
      979-8217008179
      ISBN-10 9798217008179

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      WINNER OF THE PEN/FAULKNER PRIZE • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A BEST BOOK OF 2014: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Publishers Weekly, BuzzFeed • SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

      Brad Skinner hitchhikes to New York, newly returned from three tours in Iraq, hoping to exorcise his demons and reacclimate to American society. Zou Lei, an undocumented immigrant from Central Asia, catches a bus into the city, searching for a way to get by—or at least stay out of jail. Skinner and Zou Lei meet each other in the margins of Queens, each finding something they long for in the other, and their unlikely love story becomes the beating heart of this story.

      Set in the underbelly of New York, Preparation for the Next Life exposes an America as seen from the fringes of society and, in devastating detail, destroys the myth of the American Dream through two of the most remarkable characters in contemporary fiction. Powerful, realistic and raw, Preparation for the Next Life is one of the most ambitious—and necessary—novels of our time.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account