Welcome to HOPE, Alaska — Where the Past is as Close as the Sea

Unsolicited Press is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Sommer Schafer’s HOPE, a powerful novel-in-stories arriving November 25, 2025. Set in a remote island community off the Alaskan coast, Schafer’s latest work immerses readers in the lives of residents who’ve turned away from modern conveniences in favor of solitude, survival, and self-made worlds.

But in Hope, Alaska, the past never really disappears.

From neighbor feuds over ocean views to covert meth operations, self-invented religions, witchcraft, and the lingering wounds of colonialism, HOPE reveals a place both otherworldly and sharply familiar. Through these interconnected stories, Schafer asks the question we can’t quite shake: Can we ever truly leave our past behind—or does it simply live on in new forms?

Sommer Schafer, Senior Editor of The Forge Literary Magazine and author of THE WOMEN, brings her signature blend of sharp observation, empathy, and unflinching honesty to this unforgettable portrait of a community at the edge of the world.

Mark your calendars—HOPE hits shelves November 25, 2025. You can pre-order your copy now at unsolicitedpress.com/shop/p/hope.