These Americans - Paperback

by Aaron Paul Schaut (Author)

"These Americans is full of trippy confluence"

Lily's story takes place in various Waffle Houses and small hotels across Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas. Lily encounters a cast of diverse characters, including a group of inappropriate cat-callers, a revolver-wielding hotel owner on Route 66, and a sexy server at Lily's first Waffle House.

Back home, Lily is connected to a cast of intriguing characters, including Gus, her chain-smoking, coffee drinking and perpetually stressed-out boyfriend; Stacia, her workaholic and commitment-phobic best friend; Chick, Stacia's love interest who prefers they/them pronouns while loving a good mystery; Jake, a guy who struggles with every aspect of life; Jesse, the alcoholic veteran living next door; Lainey the cop; and a dog named Tank or Roger, depending on who you ask. Additionally, Morgan Freeman makes an appearance in certain characters' dreams, serving as their subconscious.

This novella offers an exploration of the interplay between relationships, actions, and human nature through its complex characters. Instead of presenting them as either heroes or villains, the book depicts them as unique individuals with their own struggles and personalities. The story had been recently described as "full of trippy confluence," which I find an accurate description of the way events converge in the narrative.