Barnaby: A Novel

A touring theatre company becomes stranded in a desolate frontier town, and the narrative traces the strain of poverty, fear, and performative life that grips its members. When a passing train offers a possible escape, performers resort to desperate theatrics and identity swaps to secure passage. Parallel threads follow a convalescent young woman and a man drawn into the company's orbit, their outward transformations reflecting inward uncertainty. The story moves between backstage bustle and solitary reflection, exploring themes of identity, social pretence, the blurred line between role and self, and the fragile search for rescue and belonging.