The Gray New Deal

 A novel by Miriam Kuznets

Preorders coming soon

Retailer/reviewer information

“The intimacy of the characters’ lives in The New Gray Deal feels utterly compelling and impossible to turn away from. Miriam Kuznets has written an endearing novel that brims with compassion and healing, two things the world could use more of these days.”
— Oscar Cásares, author of Where We Come From

Five decades ago, Barry, Vihaan, Jane, Ellen, Tomás, Doris, and Pearl were college housemates sharing a co-op called West House on a cul-de-sac in Austin, Texas. After graduation, they ventured far and wide to build lives filled with successes and failures, loves and losses. Through it all, they stayed involved in each other’s lives, their friendships standing the test of time.

Now Barry, who is by far the most economically successful, renovates the fire-damaged old co-op and invites his friends to live there together once again. Older, wiser, battle scars and all, West House members reunite.

With a foundation of understanding and love that only such a long history can provide, they create a community. Within the household, they all have their own relationships, some built on the past, some budding and others souring, most platonic but others not. What they have most of all is vivid and particular hopes for the future, futures with each other, and futures with new people in their lives.

Still, they can’t ignore their complicated pasts, nor can they turn a blind eye to the approaching horizon: What to do when one’s health inevitably fails? What happens when meager retirement savings run out? And then, what happens when the pandemic kicks in? As a result, each will have to make difficult decisions as the household support system, however time-tested and robust, is put to the test.

“I flat-out love this book, and I urge you to read it.”
— John McNally, author of The Book of Ralph and The Fear of Everything
“The intimacy of the characters’ lives in The New Gray Deal feels utterly compelling and impossible to turn away from.”
— Oscar Cásares, author of Where We Come From
“… finely wrought and deeply felt debut …”
— Helen Schulman, author of Fools for Love and Lucky Dogs
“This is a book about the small and slow and necessary actions that create community …”
— Celia Bell, author of The Disenchantment
“… a moving exploration of grief, love, friendship, memory, and the unfinished work of growing older …”
— Chaitali Sen, author of The Pathless Sky and A New Race of Men from Heaven
“Elegant and profoundly funny …”
— Debra Jo Immergut, author of You Again and The Captives

A portion of the proceeds from A Gray New Deal goes to World Central Kitchen. WCK's work is guided by our belief that food is a universal human right. WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.

Miriam Kuznets