Temporary Palaces

In this memorable debut from Miller, a ragtag group of punk rockers struggles with wanderlust, friendship, and responsibility. The story opens in early 2000s Ottawa, where Rob, a fearless anti–world trade activist who faces off with police at protests, has corralled a group of fellow activists, bandmates, and friends in an abandoned house. Ben, his sometime lover and bandmate in the Blank Tapes, wants more for himself and the band. After the squat is raided by police, everyone scatters and only Rob gets arrested, scuttling a planned tour for the Blank Tapes. A decade later, the group has moved on. Their friend and band photographer, Alex, has become an award-winning Montreal artist, while Ben manages a popular Ottawa restaurant while caring for his cat, a stray he rescued and named Rob. Ben and Alex’s reunion at a Quebec wedding for mutual friends is touching as they reminisce. Later, they visit the old squat, make art from the remnants of the rooms they’d once lived in, and rediscover their enduring love for each other. Miller nails the friends’ gritty demimonde, where a night might end with stick-and-poke tattoos, and the narrative builds to a touching depiction of the passage of time as the characters grapple with gentrification and growing old. Miller’s bittersweet novel burns with the warmth of lasting friendship. (Apr.)