Nikotin

Nell Zink, a witty humorist and author of the acclaimed debut "The Wallcreeper," takes aim at divided America in her new novel. Penny Baker, fresh out of college and now unemployed, is also struggling to cope with the recent death of her father. She decides to renovate his dilapidated childhood home in Jersey City to regain her footing. But surprise: she finds it occupied by a group of friendly, still-smoking anarchists who have named their shared living space "Nicotine." Her first impression: "It was like having a bunch of bedbugs move in uninvited, but at least they do the dishes." Over time, however, the residents and other squatters from the neighborhood provide her with a sense of belonging and community that Penny desperately needs, and soon she moves in next door and becomes involved in political activism.