Muswell Press snaps up Joella's 'stunning' novel A Quiet Life

Muswell Press has landed A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella, a "deeply moving" novel about three people grappling with loss.

Publisher and co-founder of the press Sarah Beal bought UK and Commonwealth rights to the title from Madeleine Milburn at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. 

Set in a close-knit Pennsylvania suburb in the depths of winter, the novel follows three grieving individuals whose lives intersect in unforeseen ways. It will be published in the US in November by Scribner, and in the UK in February 2023. 

Milburn said: "I am delighted to see Ethan published by Muswell Press for his stunning second novel, A Quiet Life. The team at Muswell have a uniquely passionate vision, which shone through their publication of [Joella’s debut] A Little Hope, and I am thrilled for readers in the UK and Commonwealth to discover Ethan’s beautiful, poignant novel, charged full of small-town charm."

Publishers Sarah and Kate Beal said: "Ethan Joella writes so beautifully, he conjures something extraordinary from the everyday. Deeply moving, yet imbued with hope, we are proud to be publishing this truly compelling novel."

Joella teaches English and psychology at the University of Delaware and leads community writing workshops. His work has appeared in River Teeth, International Fiction Review, MacGuffin, Delaware Beach Life and Third Wednesday. His debut novel, A Little Hope, was published by the press in 2021. 

"I am absolutely thrilled to get the opportunity to work with Muswell Press again for A Quiet Life, as I found them to be such a supportive and savvy publisher with my first novel," he said. "I look forward to bringing another book to the UK and Commonwealth."