With his debut novel, Samedi the Deafness, Jesse Ball emerged as one
of our most extraordinary new writers. Now, Ball returns with this
haunting tale of love and storytelling, hope and identity.
When Selah Morse sees a young woman get hit by a speeding taxicab, he
rushes her to the hospital. The girl has lost her memory; she is
delirious and has no identification, so Selah poses as her boyfriend.
She is released into his care, but the doctor charges him to keep her
awake, and to help her remember her past. Through the long night, he
tells her stories, inventing and inventing, trying to get closer to what
might be true, and hoping she will recognize herself in one of his
tales. Offering up moments of pure insight and unexpected, exuberant
humor, The Way Through Doors demonstrates Jesse Ball's great
artistry and gift for and narrative.