The Island on the Edge of Normal

Impossible to believe that this is a first novel. It feels so assured, so wise; and the “edge” of the title teaches us so much about internalized morality that the text is almost a manual of emotional intelligence.... Now, at last, the Age of the Internet is producing its own fine young novelists; one of them wrote this book.”

--Frank Delaney, NY Times Bestselling author of Ireland a Novel

The first novel by Guy New York, The Island on the Edge of Normal, follows James from New York City to the coast of Maine where he struggles to forget his past by destroying his memories one page at a time. As he settles into his new life, he finds himself falling in love with Issa, the married women whose house he is sharing. When he learns that Issa and Paul have an open marriage he’s forced to make decisions he’s tried hard to avoid.

But the more comfortable he becomes, the more his past returns, until suddenly it arrives on the island in the form of Jane, the woman he’s been trying so hard to forget. Even as James learns about non-jealous husbands, handsome tourists, and growing up on the edge of normal, he’s still consumed by guilt, fear, and a deep-seated anger that he doesn’t fully understand and can’t let go.

A tale of love, lust, and redemption, The Island on the Edge of Normal pushes the boundaries of what it means to create, destroy, and forgive.