TheNew York Timesbestselling, National Book Awardwinning author ofThe FriendandWhat Are You Going Throughbrings her singular voice to a story about modern life and connection.

Elegy plus comedy is the only way to express how we live in the world today, says a character in Sigrid Nunezs ninth novel.The Vulnerablesoffers a meditation on our contemporary era, as a solitary female narrator asks what it means to be alive at this complex moment in history and considers how our present reality affects the way a person looks back on her past.

Humor, to be sure, is a priceless refuge. Equally vital is connection with others, who here include an adrift member of Gen Z and a spirited parrot named Eureka.The Vulnerablesreveals what happens when strangers are willing to open their hearts to each other and how far even small acts of caring can go to ease anothers distress. A search for understanding about some of the most critical matters of our time, Nunezs new novel is also an inquiry into the nature and purpose of writing itself.