A Light Too Bright, by Samuel Miller

For fans of literary classics such as The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflowercomes a stirring new thought-provoking novel from debut author Sam Miller about a loss shrouded in mystery with twists and turns down every railway.

Arthur Louis Pullman the Third is on the verge of a breakdown. He’s been stripped of his college scholarship, is losing his grip on reality, and has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle.

It’s there that Arthur discovers a journal written by his grandfather, the first Arthur Louis Pullman, an iconic Salinger-esque author who went missing the last week of his life and died hundreds of miles away from their family home. What happened in that week—and how much his actions were influenced by his Alzheimer’s—remains a mystery.

But now Arthur has his grandfather’s journal—and a final sentence containing a train route and a destination.

So Arthur embarks on a cross-country train ride to relive his grandfather’s last week, guided only by the clues left behind in the dementia-fueled journal. As Arthur gets closer to uncovering a sad and terrible truth, his journey is complicated by a shaky alliance with a girl who has secrets of her own and by escalating run-ins with a dangerous Pullman fan base.

Arthur’s not the only one chasing a legacy—and some feel there is no cost too high for the truth.

What a compelling journey this is—and what an accomplished debut too. Beautifully conceived and executed, it has an irresistible premise; an ingenious plot tinged with mystery; compelling, multidimensional characters; and a haunting ethos that will linger in readers’ minds long after they have finished. - Booklist (starred review)

“Jumping from clue to clue and train to train across the country, Arthur stumbles upon extraordinary discoveries, from long-lost family members to secret societies. This fresh incarnation of the great American road trip novel is bursting with big ideas, enigmas, poetry, and flashes of humor.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)