The Nix Summary
Nathan Hill

The Nix Overview

The Nix is Nathan Hill's fragmented fictional account of a son who goes in search of his mother’s life story in order to learn why she abandoned him as a child. It is a novel that celebrates the art of in-depth research and the rewarding fruits it can bear. Samuel is a struggling writer who has yet to gain fame despite his desperation for notoriety. His mother, Faye, has been out of the picture for more than 20 years, but, when she reappears due to a scandal, Samuel is overcome with the burning temptation to reconnect. However his deep hurt collides with his burning desire to punish his mother, and we are taken on Samuel's quest to find the right path for the future relationship with his mother. Readers are thrust back to the 1968 Democratic National Convention and then taken through the life of a mother who is now charged with acts of terrorism after throwing rocks at a political figure. Along the way, readers have the chance to meet frantic anti-war hippies, money-hungry publishers, and an obese gamer who wants to win his wife back. Nathan Hill presents readers with a delicate tale of self-discovery, re-connections, and a sense of what life is like for an awkward girl who grew up during the Vietnam War and her son who was never able to get over the confusion of his mother leaving him. The Nix heartfelt tale that avoids being sappy and takes dark, humorous aim at the fake world Americans live in today.