Riverstone Books is thrilled to host Julia Phillips to speak on her new book, Bear. We will be hosting this event at our Squirrel Hill store. There is street parking that is free after 6pm and additional parking can be found under the CLP Library on the corner opposite of the JCC. Please give us a call or email if you have any questions.

A VIP ticket will include a copy of the book, priority seating, and front of the signing line. A general admission ticket just includes attendance.

Unable to attend or need additional copies of the book? Pre-order signed copies here. If not attending, please note any personalization requests in the "Order Comments" section of the checkout page.

About the book:

A mesmerizing novel of two sisters on a Pacific Northwest island whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor—a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods, by the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth.

They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.
Sam and her sister, Elena, dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works long days on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can't earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.

Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it's time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the plan to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.

A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us—Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.

About the author:

Julia Phillips is the bestselling author of the novel Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim Fellow, she lives with her family in Brooklyn.

About the conversation partner:

Kit Frick is a MacDowell fellow and ITW Thriller Award finalist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. She is the author of multiple thrillers including, for young adults, Before We Were Sorry (originally published as See All the Stars), All Eyes on Us, I Killed Zoe Spanos, Very Bad People, and The Reunion, and for adults, The Split. She is also the author of the poetry collection A Small Rising Up in the Lungs. Kit loves a good mystery but has only ever killed her characters. Honest.

Visit Kit online at KitFrick.com and on Instagram @KitFrick.