Small Wonders

Starred review from July 20, 2015
Lux’s skillful, carefully crafted debut is a delicate tale of unexpected love in the big city. When Trip Morgan was 16, he abandoned the tiny Alabama town where he was raised and ran away to New York City. Three years later, he’s living in a tiny apartment with artist Liam, addict Devon, actor Jude, stripper Scarlett, and Scarlett’s baby daughter. Trip makes his living busking in the parks and amuses himself by pickpocketing small, unremarkable items and returning “lost” wallets. When he lifts a wallet from handsome, well-off 26-year-old Nate Mackey, he gets more of a reward for returning it than he expected: an invitation to coffee, a new friend, acceptance, and eventually even love. In direct opposition to steady, reserved Nate, Trip is wild, angry, and lost. But as Trip convinces Nate to unbutton and relax, he himself begins to learn to open up, trust, care, and accept being cared for in return. A hard life has made him hard, but the relationship between the two men draws out the softness and the goodness in Trip and gives it room to grow. Trip’s struggles and frustrations come across as very vivid and real, and readers will hold their breath rather than risk blowing away the two men’s fragile blossom of a relationship.