Allegra Goodman

Allegra Goodman writes literary fiction that studies families, belief, work, and the private worlds people build around themselves. Sam follows its title character from age seven to nineteen in a working-class Massachusetts household, keeping close to her changing understanding of an unreliable father, a determined mother, and a younger brother who needs care. Rock climbing becomes Sam's lasting discipline, first as a gift from her father and later as a way to test her own patience, strength, and independence. The Dial Press issued Sam in 2023, continuing a career that includes Kaaterskill Falls, a National Book Award finalist, and novels about scientific research, religious communities, and artistic ambition. Rebecca Lowman narrates the Random House Audio edition, giving Sam a voice that matures across the story. Goodman's close third-person approach makes growing up feel cumulative: each disappointment alters what Sam expects from family, love, and herself.