The Beautiful Miscellaneous

Dominic Smiths novel explores genius and loss, failure and redemption, and a sons struggle with the crushing weight of his fathers expectations. Nathan Nelson is just above average in everything he does. However, his father, a renowned physicist, pursuing his quest to uncover his sons latent gifts, sends Nathan to whizkid summer camps to learn college algebra. By the time Nathan is seventeen, hopes for a lateblooming prodigy seem dashed. Then a tragic accident and ensuing coma leave Nathan with an altered mind that allows him to memorize vast amounts of information. Nathans father, seeking an application for the new talent, sends him to a research institute where, amid misfits and savants, Nathan tries to find a purpose for the new way he perceives the world.