Imagine arriving at a dream Mexican resort for a dream wedding to the man of your dreams, only to learn that, before he can join you, your fiancé has died. So begins this heartbreaking story of idealized dreams and crushing reality by Eddy Boudel Tan. When Coen learns that the flight Elias co-piloted mysteriously crashed in the Arctic Ocean, he changes the wedding to a celebration of Elias’s life, against the advice of his family and friends. Ultimately, Coen must confront his past and the mysteries of Elias’s life and death before he can begin to grieve for his lost mate. A master storyteller, Tan takes us on an epic adventure that is both heartbreaking and revealing.
After Elias by Eddy Boudel Tan. Published by Dundurn Press. The editor is Rachel Spence; the agent is Jessica Faust. After Elias is a finalist for the Publishing Triangle’s Edmund White Debut Fiction Award; the winner will be announced on May 12.