James Hannaham reads from his novel "Delicious Foods"

“This is a hell of a novel.”--Dave Eggers, author of A Hologram for the King and The Circle

“James Hannaham’s new novel is a tour de force.”--Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad

“A completely unforgettable, original, and singular novel by a brave, exciting new writer.”--Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow

Darlene, grief-stricken widow and mother of eleven-year-old Eddie, is lured away with false promises of a good job and a rosy life. A shady company named Delicious Foods shuttles her to a remote farm, where she is held captive, performing hard labor in the fields to pay off the supposed debt for her food, lodging, and the constant stream of drugs the farm provides to her and the other unfortunates imprisoned there.

In Delicious Foods, James Hannaham tells the gripping story of three unforgettable characters: a mother, her son, and the drug that threatens to destroy them. Through Darlene's haunted struggle to reunite with Eddie, through the efforts of both to triumph over those who would enslave them, and through the irreverent and mischievous voice of the drug that narrates Darlene's travails, Hannaham's daring and shape-shifting prose infuses this harrowing experience with grace and humor.

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James Hannaham is the author of the novel God Says No, which was honored by the American Library Association. He holds an MFA from the Michener Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and lives in Brooklyn, where he teaches creative writing at the Pratt Institute.