A quiet story you won't soon forget.

Everything Must Go by Elizabeth Flock is the third novel from the bestselling author of last year's critically praised Me & Emma.

During high school, Henry begins working as a salesman at Baxter’s, a downtown men’s specialty store. As an unexpected football star, Henry’s prospects look good in college. But a past tragedy is slowly eating away at the Powell family, and Henry is called back from his first year of college to take care of his mother. His older brother Brad moves to the opposite coast, and Henry’s father spends each day away at his office. Henry goes back to work at Baxter’s. Months pass, then years. Each day after work, Henry checks on his mother, who has often drunk herself into a stupor by mid afternoon. The highlight at work is the store’s annual sale each year after the holidays, when regulars return for high quality bargains. The novel moves back and forth through Henry Powell’s existence, revealing how his life slowly stalls while the rest of the world moves forward

Henry’s life could be a gloomy mess, but Elizabeth Flock redeems the novel with extraordinary insight in the human condition. At time humorous and heartbreaking, the scenes reveal that loneliness, anger and disappointment don’t have to lead to unhappiness. Each day, Henry lives in the moment. He imagines a biographer observing and recording his every movement. He lip-synchs to records while imagining his screaming fans on his music tour. Although he has reached middle-age, he is still patiently waiting for his life to begin. Henry Powell’s quiet story is one you won’t soon forget.