White Plains

Flynn Hawkins is a graduate assistant at a prestigious university, on his way to

greatness and wisdom. But in the aftermath of 9/11, Flynn leaves his unhappy

marriage and beloved children, resigns his teaching position, and heads

west, only to get lost in his guilt and in the mountains of Colorado. When he

ends up stuck overnight in a snow drift during a blizzard on the Continental

Divide, he realizes he needs to remake himself into the kind of man his

children need him to be.

With wit and insight, David Hicks turns a compassionate but unblinking

eye on what it means to be human—to be lost while putting yourself back

together again, to be cowardly while being brave, to fail and fail again on the

way to something that might be success.

Advance Praise for WHITE PLAINS:

"In David Hicks’s captivating debut, an English professor realizes he can no longer stand to live a life of quiet desperation. Comic and tender by turns, White Plains is a big-hearted novel about awakening—and reawakening—to love." — Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks

“For the single man, in this case dear Flynn in White Plains, it can be a rocky road to climb toward grace; and David Hicks shows us every glorious bump on the way I found myself groaning at each of Flynn’s stumbles, but always hoping for him (especially as he assembles himself as a parent) in this glowing set of stories, a book that reads like late night messages sent from a friend. This is an honest look at a man moving from punishing bad faith toward something he finally hopes is good.” – Ron Carlson, author of The Signal

“In this intensely psychological story, David Hicks gives us a panoramic understanding of his protagonist, Flynn, as he investigates the human condition. How can we live close to the bone? With characterization reminiscent of Richard Powers and John Williams, White Plains is as intriguing as it is beautiful.” — Erika Krouse, author, Contenders

“What happens when a man risks everything in search of a real home and big love? David Hicks shares the answer in White Plains, a thrilling and thoughtful take on what it means to live life to the fullest.” – Sophfronia Scott, author of Unforgivable Love

"David Hicks has written a novel with sentences that dance and sing on the page, as we follow Flynn Hawkins, our protagonist, in his quest for redemption from the debilitating effects of divorce, abandoned children, and consuming guilt. Introspection is key here (where so few tread), and there are no tricks in this writing, only honesty. - Allen Learst, author of Dancing at the Gold Monkey

"On first glance, David Hicks’ witty and melancholy White Plains is a novel of the academic life, in the tradition of Lodge, Amis and McCarthy, and it deserves a place in that most excellent tradition. But White Plains exceeds this subgenre and rewards us with dynamic shifts in point of view that reveal an unsparing and original look at aging through a literary life and events that seem to have a mind of their own. Hicks writes spot on spots of time covering thirty years: St. Marks, Shea Stadium, Creede, Colorado. . . . momentary stays against confusion and concentric circles of diminishing expectations. With characteristic and devastating restraint, we’re asked, 'How many chances does a man get [does anyone get] to set his life straight.' The answer: read this extraordinary novel." —David Lazar, author of I'll Be Your Mirror: Essays and Aphorisms

"Flynn's half-lived life comes of age post-marriage, in the time of tender fatherhood. He's not just the flawed but adored professor living inside an English teacher's dream of a book. He's an American man growing up, finally, right when this country needs him the most." - Rebecca Snow, author, Glassmusic: A Novel

"White Plains resonates with our desire to do right by those we love and offers a compelling tale of self-inflicted destruction and redemption." — Benjamin Dancer, author, Patriarch Run