Mendell Station
Mendell Station by J.B. Hwang, published by Bloomsbury USA on July 22, 2025, is a literary fiction debut that explores themes of loss and resilience. The narrative follows Miriam, who, after the death of her best friend Esther, grapples with her faith and her career. In the wake of personal tragedy, she leaves her job as a Scripture teacher and joins the postal service, becoming an essential worker during a time of crisis.
Readers will find a poignant exploration of grief and connection as Miriam navigates her new role amidst the backdrop of a city in turmoil. The story reflects on her memories of Esther and their shared experiences, revealing how the mundane tasks of delivering mail become a means of coping with her loss. Mendell Station delves into the intricacies of everyday life, highlighting the beauty in small gestures and the emotional weight of personal history. This edition spans 208 pages and is presented in English.
Official synopsis Publisher
Named a Best Book of July 2025 by The Los Angeles Times and Alta Journal
“A surprising and evocative debut.” -Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of PORTRAIT OF A THIEF
A tender debut that follows a woman who, after her best friend’s death, loses her faith and quits her job to join the postal service, quickly becoming an ‘essential worker’ as the city shuts down.
It’s January 2020, and Miriam is already getting a sense that the world might be ending. First, she learns that her best friend, Esther, has died. Then her faith in God-in everything, really-follows suit. Her job teaching Scripture at a private Christian school suddenly seems untenable, so she quits. Thankfully, the postal service is hiring.
While Miriam finds comfort in her route, the mail truck can hardly outpace the memory of her lost friend and eroded faith. She finds herself composing letters to Esther that she will never deliver, reflecting on their shared childhoods and deep understanding of each other’s difficult families.
Mendell Station depicts one woman’s deliverance through the peculiar rhythms of work, and the beauty found in small details and gestures, those quotidian labors of love.
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