THE SURVIVALISTS

An ambitious Black lawyer gets sucked into the extralegal schemes of Brooklyn preppers in this first novel by a former writer for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.

Aspiring to make partner at her Midtown law firm, Aretha divides what free time she can manage between brunches with her best friend, Nia, and a weekly series of failed first dates. Until, that is, she meets Aaron, who runs Tactical Coffee, a Brooklyn-based coffee roaster and wholesaler, along with his unconventional housemates: Brittany, who single-handedly constructed a bunker in the backyard, and James, a former journalist fired from his job at the Washington Post for plagiarism. Despite these potential red flags—and repeated warnings from Nia—Aretha finds a kindred soul in Aaron: They both lost their parents at a young age, and both endorse healthy skepticism without succumbing to full-blown paranoia. But, facing an unexpected adversary at the workplace, Aretha throws herself into Tactical Coffee’s behind-the-scenes operations until she finds herself entangled in the group’s not-exactly-legal gunrunning. Cauley’s experience as a Manhattan antitrust lawyer infuses the office scenes with authentically cutthroat competition, and her comedy-writing chops shine in hilariously succinct characterizations (Aretha is described as “a clenched fist posing as a person”; Brittany is “Angry Flo Jo”). But what really sets this debut novel apart is its finely tuned balance between extremes: humor and drama, conspiracy and reason, careful preparation and total chaos.

Funny and fresh, Cauley’s prose moves dynamic characters through a vivid, living New York City.