Rockaway A Novel

Sarah is in a rut, unable to pull the disparate elements of her life into a cohesive whole. She is a painter, caring for elderly parents who increasingly need more of her time and energy, and lacking inspiration in pursuit of her art. She’s stuck; so she exiles herself to the family home of her best friend in the eccentric beachside town of Far Rockaway, New York, hoping against hope for some kind of creative breakthrough. Under the watchful eyes of the married caretakers, Sarah explores her new landscape, searching for elements of inspiration. It is there she meets Marty Zale, an aging musician from a once-popular rock band whose harmonies still infuse the summertime music festivals. Marty’s devotion to the tenants of both his music and his Judaism work a strange effect on Sarah. The evolution of their awkward and probably doomed relationship lead Sarah to new experiences during her exile, and to surprising revelations about her art, her heart, and how far she has drifted from the person she wants to be. The Rockaway Stories is the startling and engaging new fiction by a writer praised by Carolyn See as “an important new voice in fiction.”

Tara Ison is the author of A Child Out of Alcatraz, a Finalist for the LA Times Book Prize, and The List. Her short fiction and essays have been in Tin House, The Kenyon Review, Nerve.com, Publishers Weekly, and numerous anthologies. She is currently Assistant Professor of Fiction at Arizona State University and in another life, co-wrote the cult film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.