Barnaby Atlas Fox
2022 American Writing Awards Finalist
The Catcher in the Rye meets The World According to Garp in this story of young love, heartbreak, and redemption.
About the Book
Young love, a talking fish, and broken hearts.
When Barnaby Atlas Fox is five years old, he “marries” the love of his life, Annabel, the girl that lives in the apartment above his. The first time they met, they both ended up with shiners, but that didn’t prevent the saplings of first love from sprouting. Barnaby is a walking disaster, despite consistently good intentions.
When Barnaby attends Annabel’s sixth birthday, he tries to save her fish from the birthday cake contaminating its tank, only to accidentally send it down the garbage disposal. Afterward, he hears the fish, Ceviche, in his mind, reprimanding, cajoling, advising.
When Barnaby discovers that Annabel will be moving away, he is devastated. Deciding that he can’t let her leave without saying goodbye and giving her a present, he sneaks up to her bedroom window via the fire escape; however, tragedy strikes when the candles he is using to light his way fall and set fire to the building. Guilt-ridden and resented by most of the people they know, Barnaby and his family are forced to leave New York.
In addition to the pains of growing up, Barnaby can’t seem to outrun the shadow of his past, as tragedy continues to befall him at every turn. All the while, his longing for his first love is ever-present in his mind and heart.
Will Barnaby ever find Annabel again? Will he be able to make amends? And, most importantly, will he ever be able to forgive himself?
Find out in this captivating coming of age tale of redemption and heartbreak.
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Endorsements
I really admire Barnaby’s level of wisdom and introspection. He has an old soul and is full of so many lessons, and it’s integral to who he is as a character. I think a lot of people can relate to having to say goodbye to childhood friends when they moved, and how tough it is to handle the emotions and finality of a goodbye when you’re just a little kid.
I love that Barnaby never gives up when trying to do the right thing for his friends, he always finds a way and his resilience is admirable. As a reader, it’s very easy to be on Barnaby’s side. It hurts my heart a little bit, the way that Barnaby is seeking forgiveness and acceptance from his family, and they just never give it to him.
– Hannah Flood
I love Barnaby! Etzioni has written a very sympathetic and compelling character. Some authors only manage to make their characters seem smarter by making those around them dumber, but Barnaby reads like a truly gifted child.
His life is such a terrible combination of unfortunate circumstances and events, and he doesn't seem like he's able to fight fate, but in the end, fate took him where he wanted to be. It's a great message that no matter what things happen to you, there's always a reason to keep moving forward to see what will come next.
He reminds me a lot of Hamlet. They're both very intelligent and misunderstood protagonists that suffer from perpetual self-doubt and hesitation.
– Samantha Gove
Etzioni’s twist on a coming-of-age story will tug on the heartstrings of romantics and outcasts alike. Chronicling Barnaby’s growing pains, Etzioni’s novel is bizarre yet familiar to those who have loved and lost. Though this is a conventional coming-of-age storyline, Etzioni’s main character keeps the reader engaged in order to learn what could possibly happen next. The blend of Barnaby’s wisdom, wealth, romanticism, age, and mental stability break the mold of anything typical. The complexity of what Barnaby experiences transforms him into someone the reader will continue to cheer for.
– The BookLife Prize
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