Fleeing Las Vegas, and her abusive boyfriend, Alison Johnson moves to Reno, intent on making a new life for herself. But haunted by the mistakes of her past, and lacking any self belief, her only comfort seems to come from the imaginary conversations she has with her hero, Paul Newman, and the characters he played. But as life crawls on and she finds work, small acts of kindness start to reveal themselves to her, and slowly the chance of a new life begins to emerge.

Full of memorable characters and imbued with a beautiful sense of yearning, Nortline is both an extraordinary portrait of contemporary America and an emotional tour de force, from an author praised for his 'compassion and warmth.' (The Times)