Lump
Rare machines/Dundurn press
One of the "must-read, hands-down best books of 2023 so far." - Toronto Star
Named a Book of the Year by 49th Shelf.
A dark, satiric novel about a woman whose attempt to escape multiple crises in her health and marriage ends up causing more chaos.
“This darkly enjoyable domestic tale is as astute as it is entertaining.” - Quill & Quire (starred review)
“Lump is both a page-turner and a disquieting and complex take on marriage, illness, and privilege. Whitlock is wry, smart, and never boring.” — Zoe Whittall, author of The Best Kind of People
"I knew this book was going to be funny and sharp but I had no idea how devastating it was going to be." — Amy Jones, author of We’re All In This Together and Pebble and Dove
“Lump traces a downward spiral that went lower than I believed it could, which is why I was so gripped.” — Kerry Clare, author of Asking For A Friend
“A super-compelling page turner.” — Jessica Westhead, author of Avalanche
“Whitlock peels back the facades of a cast of urbanites to reveal messy truths, ugly appetites, and highly questionable decision-making." — Elyse Friedman, author of The Opportunist
"An unflinching look at the limits of denial, Whitlock's latest will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure. I couldn't put it down." — Julie S. Lalonde, author of Resilience Is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde
“Everyday mini-tragedies morph into snort-worthy comedy when put under Nathan Whitlock's microscope. Lump drives in shivs of self-recognition on every page, along with lines you'll want to share with the stranger sitting next to you on the subway.” — Andrew Pyper, author of The Residence and The Demonologist
“Lump is a dark exploration of marriage, parenthood, illness — and how trying to control the uncontrollable can lead to even more destruction. Whitlock’s approachable writing style makes this heavy story a breeze to read.” – Rachel Matlow, author of Dead Mom Walking
OUT NOW
Pre-order: Canadian Independents, Amazon, Chapters-Indigo.
Congratulations On Everything
ECW Press
A comic novel that tracks the struggles, frailties, and cruelly pyrrhic victories of the middle-aged owner of a bar-restaurant and a 30ish lunch-shift waitress.
“Rife with humour, heartbreak, ambition, and failure.” — Quill & Quire
“Slyly masks immense depth of character and emotion behind wry humor and a simple story about seemingly uncomplicated people.” — Publishers Weekly
“[Whitlock] demonstrates just how cynical a world this can be but he makes his protagonist, his hero, incredibly uncynical, incredibly hopeful, and sincere.” — The Next Chapter (CBC Radio)
“Possibly the most entertaining book ever written about a decent guy committing self-sabotage. Reminds me of Russell Banks at his best.” — Cary Fagan, author of Bird’s Eye and My Life Among the Apes
A Week of This: a novel in seven days
ECW PRESS
The lives of an extended family over one increasingly desperate week.
“Recommended.” – Library Journal
“Whitlock possesses a strong command of language and an easiness with metaphor; his characters are drawn evocatively, even when they act predictably.” – Booklist
"A portrait of people in a small town so intimate that it feels like you are under the covers with them." – Heather O'Neill, author of Lullabies for Little Criminals
"Any of the characters could be any one of us on any day of the week." – Ottawa Citizen
"Not your parents' classic Canadian novel [...] A Week of This might be the truth." – The Toronto Star
"It's as if he's transplanted a group of rough-edged, foul-mouthed "folk" from reality TV to the printed page and completely blown off the shallowness and the stereotypes attached to them. His characters are individuals with beating hearts and wounded histories and sentimental hopes for the future. Before long, we sink unresistingly into their stories." –The Vancouver Sun