The Best People in the World

The debut novel from this Northampton author is a bleak tale of love and friendship, and how they fall apart in an abandoned house in rural Vermont. Thomas is a 17-year-old who's having an affair with his history teacher. Joining up with a weird vagabond, they seek out a country idyll free of constraints, which, of course, lands them in an utter mess. Tussing is a fine writer with a flair for imagery, and he's crafted a melancholy, resonant story.