Jim Finley鈥攁 recently retired English teacher living alone on the shifting edge of San Francisco鈥攈as been set, unwittingly, on the back porch of life. Trying to harmonize the voices in his head, he sits most days by his stack of 鈥渢o-do鈥 books until, one day, his daughter comes home with the worst news of her life. Everything changes. As his broken heart reengages, he steps back into a new world. He sees his ex-wife has launched into a larger life than the one they鈥檇 shared. He is surprised to find it easier to talk to his son鈥檚 immigrant girlfriend, or even the remains of a Russian saint, than to the young man he鈥檚 raised. He misconnects with Carol鈥攈is first date in decades鈥攁 woman he enjoys talking with but doesn鈥檛 quite hear. Set in the pre-tech calm before the turn of this century, Outer Sunset is a deeply felt story about the intimate place where long-lasting growth occurs in our lives; how we revise, or live without, our dreams; how to love the flaws of those closest to you and watch a child grow away into someone better than you鈥檇 imagined; and how to be shaken by beauty amidst unimaginable loss and remain standing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 rare for a novel to probe the psyches of its characters as deeply as Mark Ernest Pothier does in Outer Sunset. Many writers don鈥檛 even suspect such depths exist. They do, though, and here鈥檚 the proof.鈥濃擱ichard Russo, author, Empire Falls
鈥淭he father and daughter at the heart of this beautiful novel entirely captured mine. Mark Ernest Pothier has written an affecting story, both serious and funny, about a self-sufficient middle-aged man who finds himself suddenly confronted with the messy work of love and forgiveness in the face of looming mortality. I read it with a sense of quiet urgency and finished it with great satisfaction.鈥濃擩ulia Glass, author, Three Junes
鈥Outer Sunset traces one solitary man鈥檚 late reawakening and rediscovery of what was and still is best in his life. Mark Ernest Pothier鈥檚 debut is a wise and gentle meditation on last chances and the power of hope.鈥濃擲tewart O鈥橬an, author, Emily, Alone
鈥Outer Sunset is elegant but not showy, straightforward but not simple, serious but not humorless. Its subjects鈥攎oney, disease, divorce, death, belief鈥攁re laid out in a pattern as complex as the layers of San Francisco life that every page of this novel reveals. The characters are complex too, rich and full of mystery and revelations and surprises. This is a deeply pleasurable and satisfying read.鈥濃擵alerie Sayers, author, The Age of Infidelity and Other Stories
鈥淏eautiful and touching, Outer Sunset tells a stirring father-daughter tale about facing impending loss with faith, hope, forgiveness, and healing.鈥濃Foreword, starred review
鈥Outer Sunset is an altogether impressive debut, a wise, elegantly written book about a transformational moment for a family and their city. Insightful and bittersweet, it is鈥攚ithout qualification鈥攁 terrific novel.鈥濃San Francisco Chronicle
鈥淒eftly scripted from beginning to end, Outer Sunset is an original, compelling, memorable read by Mark Ernest Pothier, an exceptionally gifted novelist with a genuine flair for the kind of narrative-driven storytelling and impressively crafted characters that keeps his readers raptly engaged and fully involved.鈥濃Midwest Book Review
