This was the first book I read in 2026. I love a good road novel, and this one caught me off guard. Challenging but exacting—I couldn’t put it down. I’ve already ordered another book by the same author.

Two stray observations:

1. The cover art is lovely. It looks like a picture postcard you’d buy on your way to Yellowstone in 1963.

2. As someone who enjoys both fiction and watching sports, I really appreciated the way Markovits weaves basketball into his work. He apparently played pro ball in Germany for a time, and it shows.

Fresh Air has a nice review up

The Rest of Our Lives

Ben Markovits

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