The Uproar

A white New York City social worker confronts the limits of his altruism in this tense offering from Dimechkie (Lifted by the Great Nothing). Sharif Safadi and his pregnant Black wife, Adjoua, are under pressure. Their unborn child has been diagnosed with leukemia, and they need to find a new home for their sweet but immunocompromising 150-pound dog, Judy. Out of desperation, Sharif leaves Judy with Emmanuel Fleurime, a Haitian immigrant whom he’s only met once through work. Shortly after Adjoua goes into labor, Sharif returns to Emmanuel’s building to drop off supplies, and spots Judy in a precarious position on the 14th floor’s fire escape. He breaks into Emmanuel’s apartment to save the dog, leading to a confrontation with Emmanuel’s teenage son, Junior, who comes home to find Sharif there. Junior claims Sharif owes the Fleurimes money for dog care, but Sharif desperately shoves past him to rescue Judy. In the aftermath, Junior insists Sharif cursed him and broke his arm, which Sharif adamantly denies. As the affair escalates into a legal matter, an influencer from Junior’s school fans the flames on social media, threatening Sharif and Adjoua’s future. Dimechkie’s morality tale asks tough questions about the role of self-interest in conflicts fueled by class and race divisions. It’s sure to start conversations. Agent: Emily Forland, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (June)