Start Without Me: A Novel by Joshua Max Feldman

Known for his critically-acclaimed debut novel The Book of Jonah, author Joshua Max Feldman is back with another novel that promises to be every bit as engaging, intelligent and introspective as you think it will be. Start Without Me: A Novel does more than just analyze the family dynamics, and the gravity of the struggles and relationships of Feldman’s characters, it also perfectly displays the grip and mastery he has over his writing, creating an eloquent, captivating book.

Adam, a former musician and recovering alcoholic, is going home for Thanksgiving for the first time in years. Surrounded by his parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, Adam knows that he should feel comfortable, safe, and at home – but there’s still the ever-present feeling that Adam will always be the one who can’t get things right, and that his mistakes will always be with him, no matter how hard he tries.

For Marissa, a flight attendant, tensions over race, class, and ambition are straining her marriage to the breaking point, and, headed to her picture-perfect in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner, her anxiety only grows the closer she gets to their house with the knowledge that she’s pregnant from a one-night-stand.

On Thanksgiving morning, Marissa and Adam meet in an airport restaurant, where they develop an unlikely relationship as they confront their families, pasts, mistakes they’ve made, and the ever-illusive question of how to move forward.

Taking place over the course of one day, Feldman uses the tradition and idealism of the Thanksgiving holiday to set the stage for a novel about family ties, the mistakes we make, and how to move on from where we’ve been, to where we want to go. Deeply human, relatable, and flawed, Adam and Marissa are two characters that readers will remember for a long time. Start Without Me is vulnerable, endearing, and yet a darkly comedic, captivating story, sure to draw readers in, and delight them.

Start Without Me: A Novel, will be released on October 17th.

For more information on the author, please visit his website at joshuamaxfeldman.com