The Weight of Things: A Novel

Kyle Mercer can fix almost anything. A refrigerator with a dead relay. A chair with a loose spindle. A fan somebody else threw away. But inside his own house, every useful thing has become another reason not to let go. When a small electrical fire brings firefighters into the narrow pathways of his home, Kyle is given thirty days to make it safe. What begins as a cleanup becomes a confrontation with grief, family, and the memories he has tried to preserve in boxes. His daughter is tired of competing with the house. His sister is tired of watching him disappear inside it. And Kyle is beginning to realize that the things he saved may be costing him the people he loves. Funny, painful, and ultimately hopeful, The Weight of Things is a story about what we keep, what we lose, and what finally gives us the courage to make room for life again.