Scavengers

Praise for Scavengers:

“Escape to the enchanting Utah desert with an irresistible mother-daughter duo in a madcap race for buried treasure. . . . Charming, propulsive, and emotionally gripping.”
—Louisa Ermelino, People

“[A] riveting novel of madcap adventure. . . . A journey that involves questionable characters, inclement weather, break-ins, a broken nose, and death—and that ultimately evolves, for each woman, into a search for the self.”
—The New Yorker

“In Scavengers, debut novelist Kathleen Boland, inspired by the real story of [the Forest Fenn treasure], punctures that romance and offers a more complicated, compelling view of the frontier’s allure. . . . By highlighting the illusion of human dominion over the natural world, Scavengers reminds us that humility opens us to the possibility of awe.”
—Kristen Martin, The Washington Post

“Immensely moving and very funny, Scavengers is an ode to those who dream in an indifferent world, to the desert which grants and withholds, to the bond between mothers and daughters, and to quests which alter our understanding of treasure.”
—Megha Majumdar, author of National Book Award finalist A Guardian and a Thief

“Kathleen Boland’s debut novel is, at its core, a moving story of a mother and daughter. But it’s also a treasure hunt; a road trip novel; and a cautionary tale about the lure of the wild West.”
—Town & Country’s Must-Read Books of Winter 2026

“Smart, electrifying, and utterly consuming, Scavengers crackles with humor and heartbreak. A wild ride, this mother-daughter treasure hunt fearlessly explores resentment, regret, and the profound human capacity to yearn for connection despite it all. Kathleen Boland’s masterful debut novel explores the exhilarating, devastating lengths we’ll go to escape and reinvent ourselves. These desperate characters are boldly and fearlessly written, marking Boland as an original and exciting new voice in American fiction.”
—Chelsea Bieker, author of Madwoman and Godshot

“Scavengers is the moving, madcap mother-daughter adventure I never knew I always wanted, snuggling a deft character study and deep understanding of family dynamics inside an unexpected treasure hunt. From her gorgeous settings to her tender skewering of human foibles, Boland’s wonderful novel had me spellbound–laughing, worrying, and wondering until its surprising and beautiful end.”
—Lydia Kiesling, author of Mobility and The Golden State

“Wholly original and truly surprising, Scavengers is an ode to revisitation and reinvention, proving that changing your views of other people is the only way to change yourself. This novel is a desert rose among the year’s new books.”
—Courtney Maum, author of Touch and Costalegre

“What might life look like if we relinquish the scripts of success we’ve been told to desire and let ourselves be guided by love, not obligation, to our beloveds, and by a willingness to chase down the unlikeliest dreams at risk of absolute failure? A search for buried treasure, both literal and metaphorical, both externally and inwardly, is what Scavengers embarks upon in this mother-daughter romp fueled simultaneously by adventure and escape. An exhilarating debut whose inhabitants are alternatively buffeted and emboldened by the winds of circumstance, billowing us forward towards its delightful, gratifying end.”
—Jemimah Wei, author of The Original Daughter

“What if the very best part of you decided to sabotage your life? What would you do next? Boland has written a necessary novel about the strange and miraculous psychic currents that undergird American life. David Lynch meets Willa Cather in this wondrously hopeful tale of madness, love, and redemption in the still-Wild West.”
—Lucy Ives, author of An Image of My Name Enters America: Essays

“Boland blends genuine thrills with an affecting story of a mother and daughter’s restored relationship, and the narrative builds to a surprise ending. Readers will be delighted.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This depiction of a mother-daughter relationship is agonizingly apt. . . . Rich, vivid characters. . . . Gasps of gorgeous prose. . . . Moments that gleam with brilliance.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In Boland’s jaunty debut, an estranged mother and daughter head off for a weekend in the Utah desert in search of buried treasure—and possibly some forgiveness. . . . Boland clearly has a deep knowledge of this otherworldly, often dangerous landscape, and she’s come up with a fresh and unexpectedly sweet take on the theme of strained but salvageable mother-daughter bonds.”
—Margaret Quamme, Booklist