The author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous weaves a novel centred on a wayward young man who finds himself unexpectedly caring for an elderly woman with dementia. The Emperor of Gladness follows a wayward young man in New England who, out of sheer chance, becomes the caretaker for an 82-year-old widow living with dementia. This is a story of friendship and how much we’re willing to risk to possess one of life’s most treasured mercies: a second chance.