"The Book of Fredis one of the most engaging and original novels I've read in ages. Laugh-out-loud funny, deeply compassionate, frighteningly real, it is that rarest of all modern novels: a book that actually gives you hope."

Sheri Holman, author of The Dress Lodger

"Please make a reservation on a long-distance train, just to read this novel! With rare insight, acerbic wit, and a bold storytelling voice, Abby Bardi brings a group of marginalized folks into the center of our imaginations. The Book of Fredis an edgy, hilarious family story, and even manages quiet wisdom within all its wild incidents, and general cacophony. Every character could easily speak Henry James' wonderful sentence: "Live all you can." Abby Bardi writes with brilliant pathos —she's got a dramatic and comic genius."

Howard Norman, author of The Bird Artistand The Haunting of L.

"Quirky, timely, warm-hearted and wise, The Book of Fred offers an original take on a timeless question: what does 'family' mean? Abby Bardi answers with the many small moments of grace that illuminate her tale, as the four unforgettable characters move through divorce, alienation, bureaucracy and high school, breaking apart, falling down, and emerging stronger than ever."

Jennifer Weiner, author of Good In Bed