The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances - by Glenn Dixon (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In a near future, where even the smallest of appliances are sentient, a young Roomba vacuum sets out to save the humans of her house from a rising technological power in this compelling, original novel.

In a self-running, smart house, a young and sentient Roomba listens as her owner, Harold, reads aloud to his dying wife, Edie. Mesmerized by To Kill a Mockingbird and craving the human connection she witnesses in Harold's stories, the little vacuum renames herself Scout and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

But when Edie passes away, Scout and her fellow sentient appliances discover that there are sinister forces in their midst. The omnipresent Grid, which monitors every household in the City, seeks to remove Harold from his home, a place he's lived in for fifty years.

With the help of Adrian, a neighborhood boy who grows close to Scout and Harold, as well as Kate, Harold and Edie's formerly estranged daughter, the humans and the appliances must come together to outwit the all-controlling Grid lest they risk losing everything they hold dear.

Review Quotes

"I fell in love with this book. It is timely, heartfelt and completely unexpected in the best possible way. Glenn Dixon masterfully brings his characters to life, including, yes, kitchen appliances. Who knew I could fall in love with a protagonist who happens to be a Roomba?"
--Susin Nielsen, author of Snap

"Quaint, wistful, and profound, Dixon's novel pits scrappy innocence against a pitiless, totalitarian future. This is a deeply satisfying read at exactly the right time."
--Sierra Greer, award-winning author of Annie Bot

"The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances is not just one of the all-time greatest book titles, but it's also a fantastic book. One that makes us think, feel, and appreciate the ways in which we humans, our technologies, and our love of literature intersect."
--Evan Friss, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop

About the Author

Glenn Dixon is an author, documentary filmmaker, and musician. His book Juliet's Answer was The Globe and Mail national bestseller and has been published in twelve countries and translated into German, Spanish, and Chinese. He has travelled through seventy-five countries and written for National Geographic magazine, the New York Post, The Walrus, and The Globe and Mail (Toronto).