A genre-bending exploration of haunting, life, death, and the power of books from award-winning author Samantha Hunt.
"The Unwritten Book is one of our most interesting and bold writers . . . [offering] a characteristically wild effort that defies genre distinctions, flits from the profound to the mundane with fierce intelligence and searching restlessness, and at its best, delves deep into the recesses of the human heart with courageous abandon . . . An intoxicating blend of humor and pathos." —Priscilla Gilman, The Boston Globe
"Eerie, profound, and daring, this is a book only the inimitable Hunt could write." —Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire
In her first work of nonfiction, Samantha Hunt, the award-winning author of The Dark Dark, explores the importance of books, the idea of haunting, and messages from beyond. The Unwritten Book is a vivid and grateful meditation on life, death, motherhood, addiction, and the ghosts that shape us.
Each chapter gathers subjects that haunt: dead people, the towering library of unread books, the forest. Through literary criticism, history, family memoir, and a very special ghost book found in her father's desk after his death, Hunt looks for patterns, clues, and wisdom. Inspired by W. G. Sebald, James Joyce, Ali Smith, Toni Morrison, and William Faulkner, she explores how we insulate ourselves from the past and how we misinterpret the world.
The Unwritten Book revels in the magic, connectivity, and randomness of everyday existence. At its heart is the immense weight of love, conveyed with Hunt's signature blend of humor, pathos, and courageous vulnerability. This genre-bending work of creative nonfiction is a must-read for fans of haunting, insightful, and deeply personal stories.