The Sideways Life of Denny Voss: A Novel

Denny Voss is a thirty-year-old man living in rural Minnesota with his elderly mother and his blind and deaf Saint Bernard, George. He cleans roadkill to help support himself. A developmental delay from a birth accident has limited his prospects, but Denny has always considered his life a good one. When Denny is charged with murdering a mayoral candidate after crashing a sled full of guns into a tree, he must face trial. As his court-appointed therapist walks him through the past year's events, a pattern emerges: Denny's attempts to do the right thing often result in chaos. His previous legal troubles include kidnapping a neighbor's goose and accidentally assisting in a bank robbery. As the circumstances surrounding the murder charge come to light, Denny discovers painful truths about his family's past. Though he has always been surrounded by people who love him, he must now find a way to set his life on a new course. Longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize.