The Free: A Novel

[*Read by the author -- Willy Vlautin]Willy Vlautin demonstrates his extraordinary talent in his heartbreaking yet hopeful new novel, a tale that illuminates the disquiet of modern American life through three memorable characters. -- Severely wounded in the Iraq war, Leroy Kervin has lived in a group home for eight years. Frustrated by the simplest daily routines, a desperate act helps him disappear deep into his mind, where he is whole once again. Freddie McCall, the night man at Leroy's group home, works two jobs yet still can't make ends meet. Medical bills have buried him in debt, a situation that propels him to consider a dangerous proposition. Nurse Pauline Hawkins cares for the sick and wounded, including Leroy. Yet she remains emotionally removed, until she meets a young runaway who touches something unexpected inside her. Both beautiful and devastating, The Free is a testament to the resiliency of the human heart.