“A deeply-felt study of the powerful undertow of art making and life making, and how they both affirm and undo the sense of who we are, what we are worth, and who is afforded redemption. Compassionate, finely-tuned, and dexterous, Broker’s sentences feel wrought from decades of hard earned love and labor. An unforgettable achievement.” —Ocean Vuong
“The Disappointment is a startlingly acute portrayal of the joys and heartbreak of loving someone over time. I can’t remember when I’ve read a debut novel stitched with such humane insight. The Disappointment‘s fraying couple is so vulnerable, smart, funny, and real, I never wanted to leave their company. Scott Broker is a writer to watch.” —Marie-Helene Bertino, author of Beautyland
“The Disappointment is about the cost of making art, and how the unknowability of those closest to us can erode our own sense of self. Genuinely haunting and genuinely moving, it has some of the most strangely arresting moments in a novel I’ve read in years. Broker writes as if he’s been waiting to tell this story, and the results are remarkable.” —Gabe Habash, author of Stephen Florida
“Emotionally complex and satisfyingly forthcoming, The Disappointment tells an intricate story of grief, desire, disconnection, and love. A novel about what it means to fall away for a while—from oneself or another—but not apart.” —Amina Cain, author of Indelicacy and A Horse at Night
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