The Surrogate
Published on 31. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
260 pages
978-0-299-35664-4 (ISBN)
Description
Alex Ross, a thirty-year-old psychologist, enjoys the benefits of a close-knit family: her mother and aunt are twins married to two close friends, and Alex and her cousins, Rolf and Stephen, grew up as if they were siblings. When Rolf is killed in a car accident, Alex's entire family spins into grief and chaos.
Nathaniel, a mysterious art museum curator, soon enters their lives and seems to offer the family solace. Frannie, Rolf's mother, becomes infatuated with the young man; Alex, who split with her long-term girlfriend in the aftermath of Rolf's death, finds herself deeply attracted to him. Only Stephen mistrusts Nathaniel-but he soon becomes consumed with the nationwide financial crisis threatening the family's stability. Will Alex choose Nathaniel over her loyalty to Stephen? Torn between competing desires, fueled by her lifelong but unexamined love of Rolf, she must turn her own training as a psychologist on herself in order to find peace amid the turmoil.
Nathaniel, a mysterious art museum curator, soon enters their lives and seems to offer the family solace. Frannie, Rolf's mother, becomes infatuated with the young man; Alex, who split with her long-term girlfriend in the aftermath of Rolf's death, finds herself deeply attracted to him. Only Stephen mistrusts Nathaniel-but he soon becomes consumed with the nationwide financial crisis threatening the family's stability. Will Alex choose Nathaniel over her loyalty to Stephen? Torn between competing desires, fueled by her lifelong but unexamined love of Rolf, she must turn her own training as a psychologist on herself in order to find peace amid the turmoil.
Reviews / Votes
"Miller crafts her characters with psychological depth as she unravels the complexities of a close-knit, grieving family. . . . Exploring how deception can fracture even the most loving families, Alex's journey proves that truth, even when painfully gained, is the only path to authentic connection." - (Booklist)"The story is suffused with intrigue and a gripping melancholy, and Alex's internal journey is at once believable and profound. An atmospheric meditation on grief and healing." - (Kirkus Reviews)
"Expertly crafted and richly detailed, this book has a comfortable warmth that enfolds the fundamentally likable characters it chronicles. An engaging and rewarding read." - Paul Russell, author of Immaculate Blue
"A satisfying, psychologically rich novel about filling the holes in our hearts. Set against the 2007-2009 financial crisis, when everything seemed to be about to fall apart, The Surrogate explores what keeps a family together. A force of a book." - Elisabeth Sharp McKetta, author of She Never Told Me About the Ocean
"Mesmerizing and propulsive, psychologically astute, beautifully descriptive, and set against the fraught backdrop of the stock market crash of 2008, The Surrogate held me in thrall from the first sentence to the last. An extraordinary novel." - Minrose Gwin, author of Beautiful Dreamers
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Wisconsin
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
318 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-299-35664-4 (9780299356644)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lynn C. Miller is the author or coeditor of seven previous books, including The Lost Archive, The Day After Death, and The Unmasking. A novelist, playwright, performer, and educator, she lives in Albuquerque and cohosts the podcast The Unruly Muse.