Black Dog

In Erica Kent’s evocative novel Black Dog, we journey through the turbulent landscapes of adolescence, loss, and the blurry lines between reality and dream. It’s 1980, and eleven-year-old Jessica Ryder wakes up to discover that John Lennon has been killed. In a misguided effort to assuage her grief, her father shares a beer with her, marking the beginning of a years-long dance with drugs and booze that will lead her down a harrowing, and sometimes darkly humorous, path. Jessica’s full of contradictions: irreverent but romantic, smart but short-sighted, damaged but resilient. She grapples with the weight of tragedy and life, scrapes bottom, and finally discovers the elusive route to recovery, along with a hard truth: the black dog of addiction doesn’t die. Both shadows and shafts of light cut through Jessica’s story as it spans across the 1980’s. Kent’s lyrical prose and poignant storytelling create a haunting and unforgettable portrait of growing up in a world both chaotic and beautiful.

Author: Erica Kent
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Santa Fe Writer’s Project
Published: 08/04/2026
Series: Sfwp Literary Awards
Pages: 222
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.51d
ISBN: 9781951631635
Language: English

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