Books: "Run for the Hills," By Kevin Wilson

 

Run for the Hills

By Kevin Wilson

Ecco; hardcover, 256 pages; $28.99; available Tuesday, May 13th 

Kevin Wilson is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels, including Now Is Not the Time to Panic, Nothing to See Here, and The Family Fang, plus two story collections. His work as been honored with the Shirley Jackson Award and been chosen as a Read with Jenna book club pick. 

Wilson is known for writing books centered around the idea of family, and Run for the Hills, his engaging road trip novel about bringing an unlikely family together, takes that a step further. He sets out to show that the notion of family isn't just the people who are in it, but those who are not.

"I wondered what it would be like to learn that there were people scattered across the country that you never knew existed and that held some part of your own identity inside of them," Wilson said in the press release. "Would you stay rooted to the life that you had, or would you crack open your world and set out to find them? I wanted to know who Madeline Hill's father was and why he did the things that he did. I wanted answers. I wanted them for the kids in this novel. But I wanted them for myself as well."

Madeline "Mad" Hill and her mom have spent the last twenty years running their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee, ever since her dad skipped town. While living on a farm mostly okay - emphasis on mostly - she sometimes admits that it can be a bit lonely, and less exciting than what she imagined for herself.

That all changed one day when Reuben "Rube" Hill pulled up in a PT Cruiser and informed Mad that he believes she's his half-sister. Rube, who was also left behind by said father thirty years ago, has hired a detective to track down not only their father, but a string of half-siblings. 

Rube wants Mad to leave her home and join him on his quest, an unimaginable road trip to find all their siblings and, ultimately, their father. As Mad and Rube share stories of their father, alongside two other newly found siblings, they discover he acted differently in each life he created, and wonder what he was looking for with each incarnation.

The siblings begin to ask many questions through their quest. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change their lives forever?

"I'll never get tired of exploring the complexities of how human beings connect with each other," Wilson says. "Those lines of connection, those invisible threads that tie us to each other can sometimes feel like a trap, that we're bound by them, and what I want to figure out in my novels is how these same threads can anchor us to the world, can keep us from disappearing."

KEVIN WILSON BROOKLYN APPEARANCE: This Tuesday, May 13, Kevin Wilson will be appearing at Books are Magic Montague, in a discussion with Ann Napolitano. The event starts at 7:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Books Are Magic is located at 122 Montague Street. Please click here for full information and how to get tickets.

KEVIN WILSON 2025 BOOK TOUR WILL HOLD THESE EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY:

May 14 - Cincinnati, OH - The Mercantile Library, in conversation with Leah Stewart - 6 P.M.

May 15 - Nashville, TN - Parnassus Books - 6:30 P.M.

May 16 - Memphis, TN - novel. - 6 P.M.

May 17 - Birmingham, AL - Thank You Books - 7 PM.

May 19 - Decatur, GA - Eagle Eye Bookshop - 7 PM.

May 20 - Spartansburg, SC - Hub City at Cyrill-Westside Library w/ Hub City Bookshop - 7 P.M.

May 21 - Greenville, SC - M. Judson Booksellers - "Books Over Drinks" - 7:30 P.M.

May 22 - Raleigh, NC - Quail Ridge Books - In Conversation with Jared Lemus - 7 P.M.

May 27 - Philadelhia, PA - Barnes & Noble - In Conversation with Jennifer Weiner - 6 P.M.

May 28 - Takoma Park, MD - People's Books - In Conversation with Jennifer Close - 7 P.M.

May 29 - Pittsburgh, PA - White Whale Bookstore - In Conversation with Patrick McGinty - 7 P.M.

May 30 - Brookline, MA - Brookline Booksmith - In Conversation with Joanna Rakoff - 7 P.M.

June 3 - Des Moines, IA - Des Moines Public Libraries AViD series (Central Library) - In Conversation with Charity Nebbe - 7 P.M.

June 4 - Ames, IA - Dog-Eared Books - 7 P.M.

For full event information on the book tour, please check out Kevin Wilson's website - https://www.wilsonkevin.com/reading-tour/