The Familiar, Volume 1: One Rainy Day in May

About “The Familiar, Volume 1: One Rainy Day in May”

The Familiar is a 2015 novel by Mark Z. Danielewski that follows multiple characters across different locations, including Southeast Asia, Mexico, Venice, Italy, and Venice, California. The story includes a therapist-in-training, an East-L.A. gang member, two scientists in Marfa, Texas, a recovering addict in Singapore, and a programmer near Silicon Beach. At the center of the novel is a 12-year-old girl who sets out from Echo Park to get a dog but discovers something that changes her life and threatens the world. The book is described as a page-turner with a complex and diverse cast of characters.