Every year brings new experiences for all of us, and for these debut authors, 2023 certainly ushered in tremendously bold beginnings. Ringing in their careers as novelists with timely explorations of often overlooked and sometimes taboo topics, these emerging storytellers lean toward hope while offering a slate of fresh perspectives. Together, they deliver some of the brightest, buzziest, and most heartfelt listens of the year.
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Like the best dystopian writers, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah packs a punch with a story that leaves no option but to confront the parts of our world that are most often neglected—such as the American penal system. With its multicast narration and adrenaline-inducing duels, this edgy debut immerses listeners in a disturbing yet undeniably recognizable setting, and ultimately triumphs as a bold and brilliant satire of the profitability of incarceration, contact sports, and similar spectacles of violence. —Haley H.
Dropping dazzling prose and devastating epiphanies, it’s no surprise that Ruth Madievsky is a poet, nor that her glittering, druggy debut—which continues the literary tradition of excavating Los Angeles’s sleazy side while offering a timely sapphic romance and hopeful recovery arc–will be devoured by fans of Ottessa Moshfegh, Raven Leilani, and, dare I say, Charles Bukowski. Though her protagonist holds everything in, narrator Moniqua Plante is a direct conduit to her brain, which worries over traumas absorbed from her mentally-ill mother and Russian Jewish grandmother, her growing pill addiction, and whatever happened to her toxic fireball of a sister, who’s gone missing. —Kat. J
In a world where loss remains an inevitability, it is a pleasure to witness the incredible traction that the death-positive movement is gaining, aided by such beautiful narratives as Mikki Brammer’s life-affirming debut. The Collected Regrets of Clover centers on an antisocial yet endearing death doula whose undying desire to console and comfort others allows her to flourish at her taboo profession. Over the course of the novel, however, Clover must confront her inability to prioritize her own life over the needs of her dying patients. Performed by Jennifer Pickens, this listen exudes uplifting warmth. —H.H.
Narrator Heather Agyepong captured my heart as she captured the heart of Maddie, a young British Ghanaian woman seeking a life of her own, in Jessica George's flawless debut. Burdened by responsibility, Maddie has spent most of her adulthood caring for her father, who has Parkinson's disease. When her mother returns, Maddie moves out, but her awkward steps toward newfound independence lead to new hurts and complicated truths. Agyepong's melodic inflections and heartfelt performance make Maddie's blossoming a delight to listen to. —Margaret H.
I was sold on Métis poet, memoirist, and journalist Michelle Porter's fiction debut from the moment I learned that part of the story is sweetly shared from a baby bison's perspective. Once I finally had the pleasure of diving deeper into the novel, I totally fell in love with Porter's masterful storytelling skills, undeniably inherited from her native ancestry. Told with the unique musical cadence of a Métis jig and narrated by many Indigenous Canadian voices, A Grandmother Begins the Story is a stirring ode to the rhythms of generational exchange. —H.H.
Offering imagery to swoon for, Nyani Nkrumah delivers a poignant debut just as mesmerizing as its gorgeous cover. Wade in the Water paints a vivid portrait of life on both sides of the tracks in a small town in rural Mississippi, along with the rampant colorism that permeates its stark racial divide. With undeniable clarity and nuance, narrators Eboni Flowers and Teri Schnaubelt capture each and every character in this community-driven novel beautifully, complementing each other with their talents while contributing to a truly moving listen. —H.H.
Vanessa Walters’s adult debut is more than a story about a missing wife and the aunt determined to find her. As a former “Nigerwife”—a foreign woman married to a Nigerian man—the author's keen insights into the loss of identity and cultural isolation endured by her main character, Nicole, layers this story with indelible grit. Oscillating between the perspectives of Nicole and her Aunt Claudine, narrators Dami Olukoya and Debra Michaels collaborate beautifully on this unpausable thriller, edgy down to the final twist. —M.H.
Parini Shroff’s brilliant debut has it all—a central mystery and a bloody trail of vengeance, a vivid setting in a gossipy Indian village, and a cast of inventive characters so acerbic you won’t be surprised to learn the writer was inspired by The Golden Girls (as well as India’s real-life bandit queen, Phoolan Devi). Purred to perfection by Soneela Nankani, the novel follows Geeta, whose questionable reputation for killing her husband inspires other wives to enlist her help in disposing of their own … problems. Shroff unravels serious themes with a deft, unorthodox touch that’s part comic relief and all human. —K.J.
We are continuously blessed with an abundance of witchy listens, and Diane Marie Brown’s freshly brewed debut may well be one of the most dazzling additions to the microgenre yet. Rather than exploring witchcraft from a puritanical perspective, Black Candle Women dives into the vibrancy of New Orleans occultism, as the story unravels a curse that threatens the men for whom the Montrose women develop romantic feelings. But have no fear. Conjuring an enchanting portrait of the powers that arise when a woman manifests her deepest desires, this novel is easy to love and made all the more swoon-worthy by Bahni Turpin’s performance. —H.H.
As someone of West Indian descent, I’m very attuned to authentic Caribbean voices. Narrators Varia Williams and Alexis Rodney are pitch-perfect in this phenomenal debut from Breanne McIvor, set on the idyllic island of Trinidad. Williams shines as Bianca, a model and aspiring writer recovering from a scandalous affair with a powerful politician. Rodney embodies Obadiah, a.k.a. "The God of Good Looks,” a misunderstood cosmetics entrepreneur and fashion editor who hires Bianca to write for his magazine. This spellbinding story, amplified by the performers’ melodic Trinidadian accents, is a transportive listen that deserves to be celebrated. —M.H.
Tracey Rose Peyton’s gorgeous historical novel about a group of women in Texas who resist being forced into procreation for profit by their enslavers wows with its stunning themes of communal strength and solidarity. What's more, it brought me a sense of hope this year against our country's ongoing restrictions to reproductive freedoms. I found myself entirely immersed in Karen Chilton’s impeccable ability to bring each character’s distinct voice to life and totally unable to press pause on this visceral debut. —H.H.
Cecile Pin’s debut sets sail when siblings Anh, Thanh, and Minh find themselves orphaned and moored alone, first in Hong Kong and then in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain, grappling with the fact that the boat transporting the rest of their family did not survive its voyage from Vietnam. What unfolds is a harrowing tale told through historical research and interwoven perspectives, evocatively performed by Aoife Hinds, Ioanna Kimbook, and Ainsleigh Barber. A poignant reflection of woefully common immigrant experiences, the novel also resonates as an inventive exploration into the ways that refugees piece together their narratives within a greater global context. —H.H.
A deeply intimate portrayal of life in 1930s Trinidad, Kevin Jared Hosein’s debut novel truly blossoms with the mature, resonant narration of Don Warrington. The Trinidadian-born British actor is the perfect person to bring this rich, visceral tale of betrayal, trauma, and longing to vivid life, as if he's a wise patriarch sharing an ancient fable. The Saroop family lives in the shadow of the wealthy Changoor plantation, and the two families are wound together by religious, ethnic, and racial tensions that reveal the often brutal, eye-opening realities of 20th-century island life. —Jerry P.
Vikas Adam always shines while bringing evocative narratives to life, and as Tony, the charismatic young man who comes of age as the lone East Indian immigrant in colonial Jamestown, he delivers an especially exceptional performance. Inspired by Shakespeare’s fleeting mention of an “Indian Boy” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Brinda Charry offers a truly unique work of historical fiction with her heartfelt debut, exploring themes of otherness and healing, as well as early records of American colonialism that are often forgotten. —H.H.
A novel read by the author is always a treat, and I loved Claire Jiménez’s knockout performance of her fiction debut. What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez? follows a Puerto Rican family that discovers their long-lost missing sister is not only alive—she's starring on a reality TV show. When sisters Jessica and Nina and mom Dolores set out on a road trip to rescue Ruthy, chaos and hilarity ensue. Told in alternating viewpoints, including Ruthy’s, we hear how the 12 years since the teen’s disappearance have shaped each woman’s life in this stirring story of loss, survival, and bravery. —M.H.
I identify as a bad summer person, which is why I was initially drawn to this debut, believing that it was about a woman who, like myself, plans to go to the beach but never does. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the chaotic residents of Fire Island who make up the cast of this whodunit mystery. Bad Summer People is told from the point of view of multiple messy characters, each with their own unreliable account of a murder, leading up to the final moment of discovery. January LaVoy’s spirited performance makes for an immersive, fun, and entertaining non-beach beach day listen. —Patty R.
The premise alone of this debut novel sets my nerves on fire—a society where those who have committed crimes are sentenced to a second shadow, a looming reminder of their misdeeds. Marisa Crane’s poetic prose is sharp and sardonic, and it elevates this dystopian vision into a meditation on grief, parenthood, queerness, and justice. As a new(ish) parent who could not have survived those first few months without a partner, I was shaken; as a person living in an always-connected world, I was terrified; and as a listener, I was captivated. —Sam D.
