Literary Fiction spotlight
Evelyn in Transit
by David Guterson
A drifter in the Pacific Northwest and a Tibetan monk ascending to power, in one braided novel.
Buy the book
The author of Snow Falling on Cedars returns with a novel intertwining the stories of Evelyn - talented, aimless, permanently in motion - and a monk raised into enormous responsibility.
Publisher's blurb
Synopsis
Guterson alternates between two lives that appear to have nothing in common: a young American woman moving between jobs, towns and unsatisfactory attachments, and a boy identified early for a religious role he did not choose. The novel asks what a vocation is, and whether having one is a gift or a cage.
The editorial feature
Guterson at his most contemplative. The Pacific Northwest sections have his familiar weather-soaked precision; the monastic chapters are more surprising, and mostly avoid the pitfalls of the genre. A patient book for patient readers.
Book details
- Genre
- Literary Fiction
- Released
- 20 January 2026
- Publisher
- W. W. Norton & Company
- Featured on
- 20 January 2026
Where to buy
Evelyn in Transit is available from these retailers.
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