The Beautiful Miscellaneous

Nathan Nelson is the average son of a genius. His father, a physicist of small renown, has prodded him toward greatness from an early age—enrolling him in whiz-kid summer camps and teaching him college algebra. But despite Samuel Nelson’s efforts, Nathan remains ordinary. Then, when he’s 17, Nathan develops synesthesia, a blending of the senses, following a near-fatal car accident. His altered brain allows him to memorize vast amounts of information. At Samuel’s insistence, Nathan attends the Brook-Mills Institute for Talent Development and lives alongside savants, prodigies, and neurological misfits. He begins to unravel the mysteries of his new gift and to make peace with the crushing weight of his father’s expectations.

This unusual, gorgeously written novel is filled with pleasures...”

BOOKLIST (starred review)

“...a luminous addition to novels about fathers and sons...”

KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Touching and gracefully wrought...”

THE BOSTON GLOBE