~ Hardcover

The Given World offers a sweeping portrait of post-Vietnam America seen through the eyes of a young woman searching for the courage to go home again . . . 

Spanning over twenty-five years of a radically shifting cultural landscape, The Given World is a major debut novel about war’s effects on those left behind.

"Palaia demonstrates a magnificent command of craft for a first-time novelist, but it's her emotional honesty that makes this story so rich and affecting.  The Given World is an immensely rewarding and remarkable debut." -- Kirkus Reviews