Delivered

By: James Mondesir

Narrated by: Rupert Degas

Jean Valeur had his life mapped out—until his best friend destroyed it all.

Framed in a drug sting by the person he trusted most, promising graduate student Jean emerges from seven months at Rikers Island into a pandemic-ravaged New York City with nothing left but rage. His parents won't speak to him. His girlfriend has moved on. And Marcus, the friend who betrayed him, has vanished.

Working as a food delivery cyclist through the empty streets of 2020, Jean pedals between his shattered past and an uncertain future. But as the city erupts in protests over George Floyd's murder, he's forced to confront not just personal betrayal, but the larger injustices that have shaped his life as a young Black man in America.

Torn between family expectations and his thirst for revenge, Jean must choose: Will he be consumed by what was done to him, or find the strength to rebuild from the wreckage?

Set during the most turbulent year in recent memory, Delivered is a powerful debut about friendship, family, and the courage required to forgive—both others and yourself.

©2025 James Mondesir (P)2025 James Mondesir

Critic reviews

"Mondesir charts Jean's return to the world with keen emotional and psychological precision… Delivered places its value in grace and the disarming power of compassion." —Publishers Weekly

"A captivating tale about betrayal that presents impressively complex characters… This is a powerful work that dramatically captures the fragility of life as well as the perseverance of the human spirit." —Kirkus Reviews

"Delivered is a piercing, deeply humane novel that confronts injustice, guilt, and the long road to redemption with quiet, unflinching grace." —NewInBooks.com