Larson, Liz / Fireflies and Zeros

"Liz Larson's Fireflies and Zeroes meditates on the 2017 racist hate assault on Charlottesville, VA via three members of a pop-punk band who must grapple with the painful repercussions of the event for their lives, relationships, and ideas of home. The novel offers both a love song to Charlottesville and an anthem for every kind of love.

- Caroline Rody, University of Virginia

“Larson captures so insightfully her young white male protagonist's confusion in loving Charlottesville and respecting “Mr. Jefferson” and being naively blindsided by his Black female bandmate's disgust at so much about our town.” - P. A. Goolsby, UVA Bookstore

February 2018, Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Generation is back--finally. Over the course of a yearlong hiatus, the pop-punk trio has seen their beloved hometown rocked by racist violence and endured months of radio silence from their brilliant yet volatile front man, Max. But guitarist Jason is ready to put all of that behind him when a late-night call from Max reconnects the lifelong friends and reunites the band.

At a party on the eve of the band's reunion tour, Jason watches in horror as Max is thrown to his death off a balcony. Or so he thinks. In the chaotic hours that follow, two things become clear: the victim on the balcony was an imposter, and--as usual--there are no simple answers when it comes to the real Max. He's just . . . gone.

Troubled by the emotional storms that drove Max away even before his disappearance, but desperate to bring him home, Jason resolves to find Max himself. In the long winter shadow of Virginia's Blue Ridge, Jason sets out on a race against time to save his friend. In doing so, he unravels a series of surprising personal truths about the people and places he cares about most.

9781958754290

Brandylane Publishers, Inc.

July 2023

Paperback

Larson, Liz / Fireflies and Zeros