Escape Route
A teenager navigates love, loss, and identity amidst the Vietnam War.
In late 1960s New York City, Zach, a first-generation son of Holocaust survivors and a die-hard Mets fan, becomes consumed by the Vietnam War. Haunted by the past and fearful of the future, he obsessively seeks an escape route for his family, convinced the US will repeat history.
When Zach meets Samm, a seventh-generation Manhattanite grappling with her brother's PTSD after his return from Vietnam, their lives intertwine. Together, they explore the complexities of protest, friendship, music, faith, and love during a time of global upheaval, discovering that even in the face of uncertainty, hope and connection can light the way. Perfect for readers interested in historical fiction, coming-of-age stories, and social issues.
Escape Route is Elan Barnehama's second novel. His work has appeared in Drunk Monkeys, Entropy, Rough Cut Press, Boston Accent, Jewish Fiction, HuffPost, the New York Journal of Books, Public Radio, and elsewhere. He was a presenter at the 2019 Boston Book Festival, a Writer-In-Residence at Wildacres, NC, and Fairhope Center for the Writing Arts, Fairhope, AL, and the fiction editor at Forth Magazine LA. He earned an MFA from UMass, Amherst, and a BA from Binghamton U. Elan has taught college writing, has worked with at-risk youth, had a gig as a radio news guy, and did a mediocre job as a short-order cook. He's a New Yorker by geography. A Mets fan by default.
