How to Leave the House: A Novel By Nathan Newman

On Natwest’s last day before heading to university, he’s fixated on one pressing issue: a deeply embarrassing package that’s still missing. He won’t leave town until it arrives, and any alternative is too distressing to contemplate. The Last Day of Natwest is a whirlwind, comedic journey through twenty-four hours in a small town, where Natwest’s quest for his package intersects with the lives of several eccentric characters.

The novel alternates between Natwest’s peculiar inner world and the perspectives of those around him, including a middle-aged dentist who longs to be an artist but can only paint mouths, a tortured imam entangled in a complex relationship with the local vicar, and an elderly woman mourning her secretive husband. There's also a troubled teenager grappling with leaked nudes, and Natwest’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend, along with his class-traitor mother and her childhood sweetheart who harbors life-altering secrets about Natwest.

With its vibrant energy and inventive storytelling, the novel explores themes of connection, love, and self-deception. It delves into the ways people are intertwined, revealing the lies and truths that shape their lives. Through humor and tenderness, The Last Day of Natwest questions whether endings are ever truly simple and captures the essence of human relationships with originality and wit.