The Adult

In Fischer’s engrossing debut, a freshman at the University of Toronto struggles with anxiety and homesickness. Natalie, having given up her rural life on Lake Temagami to study in the city, is having a hard time adjusting to the change. Then one day she’s approached in the park by a charming, divorced woman named Nora. They soon become lovers, and the playful and attentive Nora makes Natalie feel like the center of attention. Indeed, about Nora, Natalie thinks, “I wanted her to tell me how I should spend all my time.” She keeps their relationship secret, telling her friends she’s seeing an older man. Meanwhile, Natalie is captivated by a poetry class taught by a formidable professor rumored to have slept with a student. Natalie feels inadequate at every turn, comparing her poetry to her sophisticated classmates’ and fretting over how directionless she feels. Then, over winter break, she learns Nora has been hiding something that threatens their bliss. Fischer paints Natalie with care, exploring the depths of her spinning, developing mind. Full of heart, this perfectly captures the lonely messiness of youth. Agent: Sam Hiyate, Rights Factory. (May)