Upward Bound - by Woody Brown (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Upward Bound is not a place anyone dreams of spending their days. The dreary adult daycare center for Los Angeles's disabled community is, for many of its clients and staff, a place of last resort. This includes Carlos, a young aide who lost his mother as a boy and now works there alongside his beloved sister Delia; Jorge, the gentle nonverbal giant whom Carlos seeks to befriend (and prevent from escaping); Tom, a beautiful young man with cerebral palsy, who pines for Ann, the summer lifeguard at the center's pool who feels out of her depth; then there's Mike, Upward Bound's director who came to L.A. to pursue an acting career but now channels his passion into staging an impressive holiday show starring the center's sorely underestimated clients. Framing these interlocking narratives - and connecting them in surprising, shattering ways - is the riveting and sometimes ironic testimony of Walter, a recent community college graduate who, after a family tragedy, must return to the company of his disabled peers"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A wondrous, deeply affecting portrait of the interlocking lives at an adult day care center in Southern California, depicting an often overlooked community with extraordinary wit and grace--by a major new literary voice hailed as a "groundbreaking debut novelist" (Publishers Weekly)

"Implosive and wonderfully inspirational."--Paul Beatty
"Great characters, great pace, great story--reading Upward Bound is a complicated joy."--Roddy Doyle
"It will change the way you look at the world."--Angie Kim
"Woody Brown accomplishes the seemingly impossible."--Mona Simpson

Upward Bound is not a place anyone dreams of spending their days. The dreary adult daycare center for Los Angeles's disabled community is, for many of its clients and staff, a place of last resort. This includes Carlos, a young aide who lost his mother as a boy and now works there alongside his beloved sister, Mariana; Jorge, the gentle nonspeaking giant whom Carlos seeks to befriend (and prevent from escaping); Tom, a beautiful young man with cerebral palsy who pines for Ann, the summer lifeguard at the center's pool who feels out of her depth. Then there's Dave, Upward Bound's director, who came to L.A. to pursue an acting career but now channels his passion into staging an overly ambitious holiday show starring the center's irrepressible clients. Framing these intertwined narratives--and connecting them in surprising, shattering ways--is the riveting and sometimes ironic testimony of Walter, a recent community college graduate who, after a family tragedy, must return to the company of his disabled peers.

In Upward Bound, Woody Brown has created an indelible, authentic, and profoundly moving group portrait of autism and other disabilities, all illuminated by his empathy, sly sense of humor, and enormous gifts as a novelist. With remarkable sophistication, insight, and creativity, Brown depicts a community too-often invisible in literature and society. Filled with characters you won't soon forget, Upward Bound will inspire and touch you, teaching you as much about yourself as the tender, miraculous world behind the center's doors.

Review Quotes

"Implosive and wonderfully inspirational, Upward Bound is acutely aware that be it indigo, autism, social class, or the gamma ray, everything and everyone is on the spectrum."--Paul Beatty, Booker Prize-winning author of The Sellout

"Great characters, great pace, great story--reading Upward Bound is a complicated joy."--Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

"With remarkable poise, generosity, and humor, Woody Brown has created a dazzling array of characters so real that I rooted for them, laughed and cried with them, and fell in love. Reading Upward Bound is deeply moving and wholly immersive, an experience that will change the way you look at the world. This novel is a gift, and I want to put it into the hands of every reader I know."--Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls

"A wondrous and distinctly brilliant debut novel, Upward Bound gives us the world from the perspective of someone rarely noticed or understood, who in turn understands and notices most everyone. Generous, witty, expansive, and insightful, this novel is an unparalleled achievement and a treasure."--Rivka Galchen

"Upward Bound is a highly original, captivating, brilliantly observed novel about the power of human relationships and the complexities of communication."--Caolinn Hughes, author of The Alternatives

"Upward Bound offers an illuminating chronicle from inside the world of adult daycare for so-called disabled adults, many of whom cannot speak. Woody Brown accomplishes the seemingly impossible: He gives voice to a character with a sensibility both intelligent, ironic, and loveable, who cannot himself speak."--Mona Simpson

"[A] groundbreaking debut novelist."--Publishers Weekly

"Reading Upward Bound reminded me of why stories matter. Woody Brown's writing carries an earned wisdom that remains with us long after the final page."--Jacqueline Crooks, author of Fire Rush

About the Author

In 2022, Woody Brown became the first nonspeaking autistic graduate of UCLA, where he received the English department's top writing honors. Brown completed his MFA in creative writing at Columbia University in 2024. He lives in Los Angeles and is working on a second novel.