Wild Ground

“A hypnotic story of both beauty and betrayal . . . Reading this book is like holding a heartbeat in your hands. It’s bare, melodic, and thrums with a bold and aching pulse.”—Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury

“Emily Usher captures first love in all its tender, aching radiance, in a heartrending and gorgeously written portrait of adolescence.”—Justine Champine, author of Knife River

“A love story that captures the realities of being young and oppressed, yet hopeful and searching, Wild Ground is honest, unfailingly compassionate, and so touching as to be heartbreaking.”—Beth Raymer, author of Fireworks Every Night

“This is a novel for anyone who remembers the intensity of first love or has fought for survival against stacked odds. Emily Usher has written an aching coming-of-age story that is heartbreaking and profound, gorgeous and unforgettable.  It shimmers with longing.”—Mary Pauline Lowry, author of The Roxy Letters

“Written in a fresh vernacular tinged with romanticism and regret, Wild Ground is an intoxicating debut from a compelling new voice.”—Adelle Stripe, author of Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile

“A tale of love and loss that is as addictive as Normal People—but, more than that, Wild Ground is a thought-provoking examination of how racism pervades and causes harm, how our histories haunt us, and how dreams grow and wither. It’s a propulsive, gut-wrenching read.”—Jenna Clake, author of Disturbance

“A glittering exploration of love’s many faces, Wild Ground aches with hard-won hope and bruised tenderness.”—Colin Walsh, author of Kala

“It’s incredible and I couldn’t put it down . . . Emily Usher’s writing is extraordinary.”—Carmen Marcus, author of How Saints Die

“Both harrowing and hopeful, a generative bildungsroman from an exciting debut novelist . . . Usher’s prose, much of it written in northern English dialect, is electric—each character, place, and location surges with a gripping urgency and vitality. Her narrative world, however chilling, feels totally honest, alive, and exacting. Usher’s pacing, too, is remarkable; each turn is unexpected and yet wholly fitting, each transition between present and past seamless and ensnaring.”—Kirkus Reviews