Upward Bound
by Woody Brown
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Pub Date 2 Apr 2026 | Archive Date 2 May 2026
Random House UK, Vintage | Jonathan Cape
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Description
Woody Brown’s vibrant and profoundly moving debut novel takes us to sun-bleached California, to a daycare centre for Los Angeles’s disabled community.
‘Wonderfully inspirational’ PAUL BEATTY
‘A complicated joy’ RODDY DOYLE
Among the clients and staff are Carlos, a charismatic aide who lost his mother as a boy, and Jorge, who is gentle, nonspeaking and prone to escape despite Carlos’s best efforts. Tom, a beautiful young man with cerebral palsy, pines for Ann, the lifeguard for the summer who feels out of her depth. Then there’s Dave, the centre’s director. He wanted to be an actor, but finds himself on a very different path.
At the heart of Upward Bound is Walter, a recent college student returning to the company of his peers after a family tragedy. Around him, a story unfolds of friendships forged, connections missed and the dreams – some new, others almost forgotten – that shape us. With his wit, empathy and astonishing gifts as a storyteller, Woody Brown immerses us in life as we have never experienced it before.
‘Gives us the world from the perspective of someone rarely noticed or understood . . . Wondrous’ RIVKA GALCHEN
‘Woody Brown accomplishes the seemingly impossible’ MONA SIMPSON
‘Highly original, captivating, brilliantly observed’ CAOILINN HUGHES
About Woody Brown:
In 2022, Woody Brown became the first nonspeaking autistic graduate of UCLA, where he received the English department’s top writing honours. Brown completed his MFA in creative writing at Columbia University in 2024. He lives in Los Angeles.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781787336414 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 208 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 6 members
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1743972
What a debut for Woody Brown - the first nonspeaking autistic graduate of UCLA!
I really enjoyed reading this novel. It's funny, frustrating, and melancholic all at the same time. I also liked how it was split into smaller viewpoints from different characters to see how they all intertwine with each other. I believe this should be required reading for everyone and I'm looking forward to more books in the future from Brown.
Thank you Random House UK, Vintage and NetGalley for the chance to read this fantastic book.
Stephen R, Educator
"Jorge and I are both inmates at an insane asylum that passes itself off as a day program for autistic adults."
This is the story of Walter- recently graduated college student -who is now returning to the Upward Bound daycare centre for disabled persons following a family bereavement.
This is a compendium of interwoven stories exploring life at the centre through the eyes of attendees and staff- stories of love and friendship; challenges and barriers; misunderstandings and aspirations. From non-speaking Jorge to cerebral-palsy Tom with film star looks and to Dave the manager and Mariana and Carlos- siblings working at Upward Bound.
Woody Brown has created a book of beauty and wisdom enabling us the readers to enter a world that is unknown to most of us. This is a book that will deeply move many and positively challenge us to reflect upon and change perceptions.
Hooked from the start to the finish ; this is going to be a book that I'll recommend through 2026.
A triumph !
Thank you to Jonathan Cape for the advance copy.
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