“A riveting new voice in American fiction.” —George Saunders

“Stops your breath…. ‘West of the Known’ parks a language before a reader’s eyes that shocks and hypnotizes.” —San Francisco Chronicle

An electrifying story of two siblings turned outlaw in the Wild West, by the inimitable talent Chanelle Benz—plus an exclusive preview of her forthcoming debut novel, The Gone Dead

Fifteen-year-old Lavenia is freshly reunited with her long-absent brother Jackson, joining the ranks of his roving band of outlaws on their unbridled spree through the West. Facing down the brutality of life on the plains, but intoxicated by her first taste of real freedom, Lavenia sets off on an adventure that sends her rushing full-tilt toward a moral crossroads. With crackling prose and a blazing intensity, “West of the Known” is a breathtaking tale that reveals the dark consequences of our youthful decisions.

Plus, this publication includes an advance preview of Chanelle Benz’s highly anticipated debut novel, The Gone Dead. When Billie James returns to the Mississippi Delta for the first time since her father’s tragic death during her childhood, she hears a strange rumor: that she herself went missing on the day her father died. Gritty and openhearted, The Gone Dead lays bare the long-concealed wounds of a family and a country.