Lost, wounded and alone, Jesse Bartos wanders the wilderness with no memory of how he came to be there. He only knows that he is in danger, and that the suitcase in his hand is worth more than his life. At the point of death, he happens upon the abandoned railroad station of Dawn's Holt, run by an enigmatic family who assure him-despite appearances-that the train will arrive any day. Jesse is desperate to escape, until he meets Reo, the family's eldest son . . . As the days pass, Jesse falls deeper under the spell of Dawn's Holt, until he's caught in a battle between past and future, memory and reckoning and fiercest of all, between his conscience and his own heart. For the Road is a fantastical Acid Western about life, death and the power of love as a force of redemption, perfect for fans of Hadestown, Alix Harrow and Catherynne M. Valente.
"For The Road packs one hell of a punch. This is a 'stranger comes to town' parable in all the best ways-brutal, eerie and gorgeously written, with a secret bleeding heart that's worth digging up. Don't miss it." - GRACE CURTIS, author of Frontier, Floating Hotel and Idolfire.
"Stark Holborn proves yet again why she's the reigning queen of the weird west. For The Road is a fast-paced fever-dream of an acid western, bristling with tension and brimming with intrigue. It's a wild ride that grabs tight hold of you and never lets go. Strange, soulful, and stylish, it speculates on the meaning of identity, love, death, and sacrifice. I dare you not to be hooked from page one. Sensational." - FRASIER ARMITAGE, author of Time's Ellipse and New Yesterday
"Stark Holborn's For the Road is a searing trip of the soul, traversing the twin lines of emptiness and belonging. A creosote-sharp and beautifully molten look at one's place in the universe." - JENDIA GAMMON, Nebula and BSFA Award finalist author of Atacama
"For the Road is a yearning and hopeful Western acid-dream, a tale of death and redemption and impossible love drawn with a deft hand. We are immersed in a vivid dreamscape Americana, and the dark weight of symbolism and destiny is lightened by the hope of unexpected love." - IAN GREEN, author of Extremophile
