FINALIST FOR THE 2026 RAKUTEN KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE (LITERARY FICTION)
A GOODREADS HOTTEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2025
A "stunningly fresh and darkly funny" (Catherine Newman, bestseller author of Sandwich) story about two strangers with only one thing in common: their father.
After her father abandoned Mickey and her mother for his new family, Mickey resolved never to think of him again. Years later, she’s fine without him. Yes, she drinks, but only sometimes—and, really, she can’t not. But with only $181 to her name, she’s not above attending some mandated therapy to access the not-insignificant inheritance he’s left her in the wake of his death. She’ll happily kneel at the Kleenex altar if it means she’ll soon be bingeing Bridgerton with a bottle of Russian Standard, five million dollars richer.
One town over, Arlo has more issues than most of her clients. Being a therapist has not prepared her for grief. She adored her father—his laughter, his charm, the smell of his cologne. She thought he adored her, too, but now he’s given his inheritance to a daughter no one knows, and Arlo is at a loss.
But unbeknownst to either woman, their problematic father had one dying wish, throwing them together on a crash course that will either break—or save—them both.
Darkly Funny & Touching
"Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick This is a moving, darkly funny and slightly twisted story of two sisters, who are aware of each other’s existence but know nothing about each other. Mickey’s life is shaped by her father’s drinking and his abandonment when she was seven. She has lived her life trying to forget him and doing the opposite of what he would do, well, except for her drinking. Arlo, adored her father, and spent her life taking care of him, including during his declining health. As a therapist, she seems to have her life together and knows how to deal with life. She is unprepared for her grief or his will. Arlo is cut out of the will and doesn’t know why or who her father’s money has been left to. Mickey can inherit millions if she agrees to attend seven therapy session with a specific therapist, yes, Arlo. This story captivated me immediately. The premise is so insane and unethical, yet strangely satisfying. The brilliance of the novel lies in the juxtaposition of the two sisters, Mickey, who seems perpetually on the verge of hitting rock bottom and Arlo, a highly successful professional with a seemingly perfect, privileged life and family. On paper, these two sisters couldn’t be more different. Mickey is a dedicated kindergarten teacher, an alcoholic in denial and someone who based expects people to be selfish and hurtful because of her life experiences. She has no meaningful relationships beyond the children she teaches and adores. Although her life is a train wreck, and many of her decisions are morally questionable or simply wrong - you can’t help but love her. I was rooting for her all the way and kept hoping she would open her emotional door a sliver to let some of the wonderful characters into her life. I especially loved how the openness and innocence of the 5 year old Ian always breached her defenses. In contrast, Arlo is reeling from the loss of her father who has been the lynch pin of her life. Although seemingly stable and successful, the weight of her grief and the will gradually begin to shatter the picture perfect life she has tried to create. Dick is masterful at building contrasts between the sisters lives and their memories of their father. Then, ever so gradually, she begins to dismantle the walls and masks they have constructed, allowing us to discover they are not so different after all. This is an incredibly insightful and thoughtful novel that captures the emotional damage of growing up with an alcoholic father. As a social worker, I was impressed with the realism, depth and compassion in her portrayal of addiction, particularly in the less common characterization of Arlo. She achieves a near perfect balance of emotional intensity, moral ambiguity, dark humour, and messy, believable characters resulting in a propulsive and entertaining novel about how two emotionally damaged young women can find hope and recovery."
