Memorial by Bryan Washington

Bryan Washington took the book world by storm in 2019 with his short story collection, *Lot*, a love letter to his hometown of Houston. He published an equally well-received debut novel the following year titled *Memorial.* The novel tells the story of Benson and Mike, two young gay men living together in Houston's Third Ward, a predominantly Black neighborhood that's quickly gentrified over the past few years. Benson and Mike are a couple — kind of. Mike is a Japanese American chef at a Mexican restaurant and Benson's a Black day care teacher, and they've been together for a few years, although now they're not sure why. But when Mike finds out his estranged father is dying in Osaka just as his acerbic Japanese mother, Mitsuko, arrives in Texas for a visit, Mike picks up and flies across the world to say goodbye. In Japan he undergoes an extraordinary transformation, discovering the truth about his family and his past. Back home in Houston, Mitsuko and Benson are stuck living together as unconventional roommates, an absurd domestic situation that ends up meaning more to each of them than they ever could have predicted. *Memorial* has been praised as a funny, sexy, profound dramedy about two young people at a crossroads in their relationship and the limits of love. Come join us for an exploration of this complex, clever and touching story about family. *Memorial* is available in local libraries and online in both print and audio format.