Description

‘Regina Porter’s sprawling, sparkling debut novel… is an exhilarating ride. Porter is a wickedly astute chronicler of human foibles.’ Guardian

As America recovers from the Second World War, two families’ journeys begin.

James Vincent, born in 1942 to an Irish-American family, escapes his parents’ turbulent marriage and attends law school in New York, where he moves up the social ladder as a prosperous and bright attorney.
Meanwhile, Agnes Miller, a beautiful black woman on date with a handsome suitor, is pulled over by the police on a rural road in Georgia. The terrible moments that follow make her question her future and pivot her into a hasty marriage and new life in the Bronx.

Illuminating more than six decades of sweeping change – from the struggle for civil rights and the chaos of Vietnam to Obama’s first year as President – James and Agnes’s families will come together in unexpected, intimate and profoundly human ways.

‘American history comes to vivid, engaging life in this tale of two interconnected families (one white, one black) that spans from the 1950s to Barack Obama’s first year as president…’ Entertainment Weekly

*LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION 2020*

Publisher Review

If you're looking for a poetic, spare, sometimes funny tale of ordinary people pining for meaningful connections - or if you're someone who wishes Raymond Carver had published a novel - you have arrived. * New York Times * Spanning six decades and three continents...[The Travelers] is held together by an elegant web of connections... Porter has a striking habit of telescoping time to chart individual trajectories... The often breathtaking immediacy and assurance of Porter's prose carries you through. * Daily Mail * Regina Porter's sprawling, sparkling debut novel... is an exhilarating ride. Porter is a wickedly astute chronicler of human foibles. In her hands, this series of glimpses feels something like life itself. * Guardian * An astoundingly audacious debut. * Oprah Magazine * The Travelers is a rare debut that heralds what should be a long and promising career. * Times Literary Supplement *