Skin Contact

Elisa Faison’s enthralling and unflinching Skin Contact gives us an intimate view of an intricately bound cast of characters, finding the hidden places where the real story lies. Shifting between the emptiness and uncertainty of loss along with the frightening and enthralling sensation of discovery, Faison has crafted a story that surprises us with its honesty, its passion, and its intensity. – Kevin Wilson, author of NOTHING TO SEE HERESexy and self-assured, Skin Contact is irresistible. While exploring the boundaries of desire and fidelity, Elisa Faison’s characters ask big questions about the choices we make and how to negotiate what’s beyond our control – Ada Calhoun, author of CRUSHA book that’s all hot and bothered, examining intimacy, fidelity, sexuality and motherhood with a backdrop of grief. It explores a network of desire, with peripheral characters intercepting the narrative to take centre stage as they share their own slice of sexy, complicated life in chapters that feel akin to short stories. Deeply readable, this will be the hottest sluttiest book of the summer – Alice Slater, author of LET THE BAD TIMES ROLLSkin Contact is so much more than a sharply observed portrait of a marriage, though it is that too. This novel sharply observes us: our petty thoughts and hidden lusts, our late-night fantasies and deepest hopes, all on display, laid loving yet unflinchingly bare. Faison has created a vibrant cast of characters, with each point-of-view richly developed yet effortlessly engaging. This book is the party of the year and I wanted to join in, opening the next door and the next, getting a bit more gossip, sharing just one more story, stealing one more kiss. An absolute knockout of a debut. – Gwen Kirby, author of SHIT CASSANDRA SAWThe ripple effects of Miranda July’s hugely successful All Fours can be seen in several debuts this year that address sex, desire and monogamy … In Elisa Faison’s Skin Contact, a 30-something couple try out an open marriage – 40 Most Exciting Books of 2026 * BBC *Elisa Faison’s debut novel will captivate you: lucid prose, delicious sexual tension, bursts of heartbreaking intimacy. I loved these characters, their stories, this book! – Jean Chen Ho, author of FIONA AND JANE

Faison’s assured debut explores the ripple effect of a couple’s decision to open their marriage… Faison cleverly mirrors the phases of the couple’s open relationship with shifts in tone, moving from sexy and exciting to increased emotional intensity and vulnerability. Readers will find it an intimate and insightful story of modern romance

Elisa Faison is a freelance editor living in Carrboro, North Carolina with her partner and two-year-old twins. She has published stories in The Missouri Review, Electric Literature, Smokelong Quarterly, and more. Her story ‘Motherlove’ was the recipient of the 2024 Peden Prize, awarded by The Missouri Review and judged by Rachel Yoder. Formerly, Elisa worked as a bookseller at Flyleaf Books and the book reviews editor at The Carolina Quarterly. She holds a PhD in English from UNC Chapel Hill.

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