Dey

From the bestselling author of Everything Inside comes a vivid and timely novel that moves from Haiti to Brooklyn to Miami, following a Haitian American woman whose sense of self and family is forever altered after she survives a random act of violence one sunny Florida day.

“Is home the place where we are born? Or is it the place where we die?” These questions haunt Magnolia, a successful Haitian American real estate agent in Miami, after she hears gunfire erupt while shopping for her daughter’s first cell phone. Seeking shelter inside a restaurant called Oasis, Magnolia huddles with frightened strangers, each praying to their own gods as chaos unfolds around them.

Once safely home, Magnolia hides the truth about being at the mall during the shooting from those closest to her. But surviving the tragedy forces her to confront her life with startling clarity. She begins to reevaluate the bond she shares with her daughter, Zoë; the strained relationship with her partner, Harrison; and the lingering wounds carried by her parents, whose pain and unraveling histories continue to shape her own fears and identity.

As Magnolia journeys through memories, grief, and unanswered questions, she must also come to terms with the losses tied to that traumatic day—losses that echo through communities far too often in modern life. Torn between Miami and Haiti, marriage and solitude, the living and the dead, Magnolia searches for where she truly belongs.

Taking its title from the Creole word for mourning, Dèy is a profound and deeply moving novel about grief, survival, family, and the fragile beauty of everyday life. Through Magnolia’s story, the novel explores the enduring ties that connect us—shared meals, gardens, memories, and love—even in the face of violence and uncertainty.