A "gripping and mesmerizing" novel about a work of art that tears a family apart (The A.V. Club). The Morels—Arthur, Penny, and Will—are a happy family of three living in New York City. So why would Arthur choose to publish a book that brutally rips his tightly knit family apart at the seams? Arthur's old schoolmate Chris is fascinated with this very question as he becomes accidentally reacquainted with Arthur. An unmarried aspiring filmmaker who works in a movie theater, Chris envies everything Arthur has, from his beautiful wife to his charming son to his seemingly effortless creativity. But as the story unspools, it becomes all too clear how difficult it is to draw the line between art and obscenity, truth and fiction, revolutionary thinking and brainless shock value, craftsmanship and commerce. The Morels explores whether it's possible to escape the past, and whether it's possible to save a family by destroying it.