This is a heartfelt and wondrous debut lauded by Philipp Meyer (New York Times bestselling author of The Son) as astonishing , introducing a supremely gifted and exciting new voice in fiction. Will has never been to the outside, at least not since he can remember. And he has certainly never gotten to know anyone other than his mother, a fiercely loving yet wildly eccentric agoraphobe who drowns in panic at the thought of opening the front door. Their little world comprises only the rooms in their home, each named for various exotic locales and filled with Will's art projects. Soon the confines of his world close in on Will. Despite his mother's protestations, Will ventures outside clad in a protective helmet and braces himself for danger. He eventually meets and befriends Jonah, a quiet boy who introduces Will to skateboarding. Will welcomes his new world with enthusiasm, his fears fading and his body hardening with each new bump, scrape, and fall. But life quickly gets complicated. When a local boy goes missing, Will and Jonah want to uncover what happened. They embark on an extraordinary adventure that pulls Will far from the confines of his closed-off world and into the throes of early adulthood and the dangers that everyday life offers. If I Fall, If I Die is a remarkable debut full of dazzling prose, unforgettable characters, and a poignant and heartfelt depiction of coming of age.
'An astonishing piece of work. Christie combines lyrical prose and true-to-life characters-and skateboarding-to craft a remarkable tale of mothers and sons, and what it means to grow up.' -- Philipp Meyer, author of The Son
'If I Fall, If I Die is an expertly crafted work of great heart and sensitivity. I can't recall a truer or more beautiful debut.' -- Patrick deWitt, author of The Sisters Brothers
'A bruiser of a tale, one you will feel in your shins and your solar plexus. Michael Christie is a virtuosic prose stylist and boy is he so very wise and so funny on families and friendships, fear and joy, and the physics of sky and pavement. If I Fall, If I Die is a death-defying coming of age story; it's also as weird and as convincing a love story as I have ever read. And so beautifully told that you'll want to pass it on immediately.' -- Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!
Author
About Michael Christie
Michael Christie received an MFA from the University of British Columbia and is a former professional skateboarder. His story collection, The Beggar's Garden, was a finalist for a number of major Canadian prizes and the winner of the City of Vancouver Book Award. He lives with his family on Galiano Island, British Columbia. If I Fall, If I Die is his debut novel.
