Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction
A
New York Times Book Review
Editors’ Choice
USA TODAY
Bestseller
A Best Book of 2025 for
Vogue
Named one of
Time
’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2025
An NPR favorite fiction read of 2025
Set over the course of a single day, an electrifying debut novel from “a powerful new literary voice” (
) following one woman’s journey across a transformed city, carrying the weight of her past and a fervent hope for the future.
“Utterly gripping.” —NPR,
All Things Considered
Last night, you and I were safe. Last night, in another universe, your father and I stood fighting in the kitchen.
Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk.
Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.
“Shocking and full of heart” (
Publishers Weekly
, starred review),
Tilt
is a “moving adrenaline rush” (
The New York Times Book Review
) and “epic odyssey” (NPR) about the disappointments and desires we all carry, and what each of us will do for the people we love.