The New Existence (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781609387969)

Chicagoan Helen Price, a dying woman, recounts her life while driving toward an oncology appointment. She attempts to take her own life, survives, then dies under tragic circumstances.

In death, Helen bequeaths the family home to her only son, gay playwright Norman Price. Father to an adopted Chinese child, and recently broken up with his partner, Norman's life is in crisis. Helen also bequeaths a series of tapes to Nate Feldman, a Vietnam draft dodger ensconced in the far reaches of Canada, and the son of Helen's former boss, Theodore Feldman. Nate's return to America to claim the tapes occasions confronting a history of animus between father and son, but also the nature of the relationship between Helen Price and Theodore Feldman.

Told from moving cars, the journeys of Norman Price and Nate Feldman converge toward unexpected mysteries and revelations that uncover not so much lies as understandings of life that no longer hold under the scrutiny of the present

About the Author
Michael Collins was born in Limerick, Ireland, and his literary work has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, won the Kerry Ingredients Book of the Year Award, awarded a Pushcart Prize, and has been translated into several languages. Collins is also a world-class distance runner, whose winning achievements include the North Pole Marathon, Everest Challenge Marathon, and a bronze medal at the 2010 World 100k Championships. Collins lives in South Bend, Indiana.