Soon Wiley’s debut When We Fell Apart will be published by Dutton in April 2022.
North American rights were acquired in a ‘major’ deal at auction by Lindsey Rose at Dutton and UK rights were acquired at auction by Bethan Jones at Simon & Schuster.
When We Fell Apart is a moving and suspenseful drama about a young Korean American man’s search for answers about his girlfriend’s mysterious death becomes a soul-searching journey into his own bi-cultural identity.
It has received some wonderful praise:
“Propulsive and deeply felt, Soon Wiley’s phenomenal debut When We Fell Apart takes on the friction between family bonds, cultural expectations, and personal desires in a way that feels both urgent and intensely real. Even as I raced through the pages to find out what happened to Yu-jin, for me the true heart of the book was Min, and his search for a sense of belonging that neither America nor Korea is quite able to offer him. His story is truly unforgettable.”
— Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice
“In this gorgeous, poignant meditation on identity, love, and desire, Soon Wiley illuminates the liminal state of being biracial, of belonging but not, of desperately wanting the world to let you be as you are. When We Fell Apart will stay with me for a long time. “
— Angie Kim, bestselling author of Miracle Creek
‘A lyrical exposition on what it’s like to be biracial, with one foot firmly planted in two distinct worlds, never completely fitting in, but capable of seeing what others do not. A lonely, heartbreaking, spellbinding story of love, self-discovery, and belonging.’
— Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
“Melancholic, atmospheric, and consistently surprising. Like Norwegian Wood, there is a minor key running through this love story played out on the frenetic and lonely streets of Seoul. When We Fell Apart is a transportive and poignant debut.”
— Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of White Ivy
“A ravishing neo-noir about the search for identity in modern-day Seoul, When We Fell Apart dazzles like neon on a rainy night. In lush, perfectly-tuned prose, Soon Wiley leads readers around dark corners and into the heart of a kaleidoscopic city, unraveling the mystery of one young woman’s tragic death through the eyes of a haunted outsider. This is a magical debut.”
— Amy Gentry, bestselling author of Good as Gone and Bad Habits
“When We Fell Apart is so expertly plotted and paced, told in prose so lean and lucid that it’s hard to believe that this book in my hands is a first novel. It’s thrilling, deeply human, heartbreaking. It’s equal parts mystery and exploration of identity and duality. What isn’t hard to believe is that Soon Wiley is writer we’ll be hearing from for years to come. “
— Michael Knight, author of Eveningland
“The business of being yourself is anything but simple, and Wiley’s powerful novel knows it.”
— Peter Behrens, award-winning author of Carry Me
“When We Fell Apart is an absolutely mesmerizing and important novel, delving into all sorts of issues that everyone will find relatable. This book is a page-turner, propelling the reader toward the conclusion, which is both surprising and perfectly rendered when reached. A bravado debut.”
— Don Lee, award-winning author of Yellow and Country of Origin