When an agoraphobic man develops a relationship with a vivacious grocery delivery woman, the order he prescribes to his apartment, and his world, begins to crumble around him. Wesley Yorstead Goes Outside explores the life of Wesley Yorstead, a thirty-three year old graphic novelist who suffers from a severe case of agoraphobia that has kept him shut inside for over five years. When he meets Happy Lafferty for the first time, delivering groceries on behalf of her father’s neighborhood market, Wesley can’t shake the inherent magnetism between them and seeks to get to know this young woman who invades his space—both physical and mental. As their relationship grows more intimate, the restrictions of his situation become an even greater obstacle. When Happy’s past comes back to haunt her, Wesley must decide if he can finally leave his apartment to help. A meditation on anxiety, fear, and human connection, Wesley Yorstead Goes Outside asks the reader to consider what our fears take away from our lives, and how we might overcome them.
PRAISE FOR WESLEY YORSTEAD GOES OUTSIDE
“Succinct, artful, and full of heart; there’s never been a character like Wesley Yorstead.”—Alena Dillon, author of Mercy House and The Happiest Girl in the World
Stephanie Harper’s debut novel is that rare thing — a true original. Part love story, part adventure, part meditation on the intersection of mental illness and art, WESLEY YORSTEAD GOES OUTSIDE is the deeply moving, darkly comic story of a lonely young man who hasn’t left his apartment in five years. When Wesley ultimately decides that there is just one thing on earth more important than his safety, we all rush through the opening door. —Jacquelyn Mitchard, author The Deep End of the Ocean and My Only
6" x 9", 184 pages. Printed on archival quality paper.
