From bestselling author Patrick deWitt, acclaimed for The Sisters Brothers, French Exit, and The Librarianist, comes Dodge City, a witty, unconventional road-trip novel about family, freedom, and finding your place in a country divided by war.

It’s 1967, and twenty-three-year-old Lee Clarke has just received his draft notice for the Vietnam War. Originally from Concrete, Washington, Lee has been attending UCLA in Los Angeles until a fistfight leads to his expulsion and the loss of his student deferment. Faced with the prospect of being sent to war, he makes a life-changing decision: leave everything behind and escape to Canada.

Lee takes a job delivering a brand-new Jaguar to the East Coast, setting off on an amphetamine-fueled journey across America with little more than a suitcase and an uncertain plan. Along the way, he visits his estranged family members, including his troubled father, eccentric mother, disillusioned brother, and spirited twin sister. Each encounter forces Lee to confront complicated family relationships and reconsider the life he is leaving behind.

Set against the social and political upheaval of the 1960s, Dodge City blends sharp humor, memorable characters, and moments of unexpected tenderness. Through Lee’s wandering journey, deWitt explores questions of personal responsibility, belonging, family loyalty, and the meaning of home.

Longlisted for the Giller Prize, this distinctive literary novel is an excellent choice for readers who appreciate character-driven fiction, dark comedy, historical settings, and thoughtful stories about the complexities of human relationships.

• Title: Dodge City: A Novel
• Author: Patrick deWitt
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Publisher: Ecco (HarperCollins)
• Publication Date: September 29, 2026
• Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction / Road-Trip Fiction / Dark Humor
• Recognition: Longlisted for the Giller Prize
• ISBN: 9780063438118