Ten Thousand Saints Apr 2026

Following the tragedy, Jude moves to Manhattan to live with his estranged, pot-dealing father, . There, he discovers that Eliza , the daughter of his father's girlfriend, is pregnant with Teddy's child. Jude joins forces with Eliza and Teddy’s "straight edge" half-brother, Johnny , to form a makeshift family. Jude and Johnny immerse themselves in the straight edge subculture—a hardcore punk scene that militantly rejects drugs, alcohol, and animal products—as a way to honor Teddy's memory and find a sense of purpose. Primary Characters

: Teddy's half-brother, a tattoo artist and straight edge Hare Krishna devotee.

The story begins on New Year's Eve, 1987, in Lintonburg, Vermont. Sixteen-year-old and his best friend Teddy spend their time getting high to escape their dull suburban lives. Their world shatters when Teddy dies of a drug overdose and hypothermia that same night.

Ten Thousand Saints is a sprawling multigenerational drama by Eleanor Henderson, first published in 2011. Set against the gritty, ungentrified backdrop of New York City’s East Village in the late 1980s, it explores the collision of the "straight edge" punk movement, teen pregnancy, and the burgeoning AIDS epidemic. Plot Overview

: Jude's best friend whose sudden death serves as the novel's catalyst.

The narrative captures a specific moment in New York history, weaving in cultural touchstones like the and the closure of the legendary punk venue CBGB . Book Review - Ten Thousand Saints - By Eleanor Henderson

: An adopted teenager struggling with identity and abandonment.

: A 17-year-old girl pregnant with Teddy's child who becomes the center of the group's new community.