The work

Books

Books spanning fiction, memoir, and stories. Click any cover to read more.

Paris Lost & Found

What to do when life smacks you down? Head for Paris. Carpenter returns to the 13th arrondissement reeling from loss, then navigating a city shuttered by pandemic — and finds his way back to something like hope.

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Memoir · 2020

French Like Moi

When a Midwesterner moves to Paris, everything becomes an occasion for catastrophe — or comedy. A hilarious, affectionate portrait of France from below, told one faux pas at a time.

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Novel · 2013

Theory of Remainders

A suspenseful literary novel set in Normandy. A psychiatrist returns to France to untangle a trauma buried fifteen years ago — and finds answers in the one place he least expected.

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Stories · 2012

This Jealous Earth

Stories of ordinary people at moments of irreversible decision. Moving and often darkly funny, ranging from realism to fable — the collection where Carpenter's voice is at its most concentrated.

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