Faded Billboards and Cold Espresso

About this book

Jordan, a twenty-three-year-old non-binary barista in contemporary Des Moines, navigates an aimless existence plagued by dissociation and fractured memories. Drifting through shifts in a gentrifying warehouse district, they become fixated on Riley, a grounded adjunct professor whose gentle presence threatens Jordan's carefully constructed defenses. As their non-linear narrative oscillates between childhood trauma, college drop-out justifications, and past toxic relationships, Jordan must confront their own unreliability. Through an emotional reckoning involving their burnout best friend Theo and the ghosts of an ambitious ex-partner named Mia, Jordan strips away their defensive cynicism to embrace vulnerability and messy human connection in the overlooked heartland.

Book details

Genres:

Literary Fiction

Language:

en

Published:

2026-03-24

Content rating:

PG