After Commencement

You leave home to become someone new.

Coming back, you realize you may not fit anywhere anymore.

Joseph Vitagliano should feel on top of the world.

It's May 1999, and he's just graduated from college. But returning home to Staten Island brings an unexpected sense of distance, from his family, his past, and even himself.

As tensions rise with his brothers and the life he once knew begins to shift, Joseph is forced to confront what it really means to move forward and what it costs.

What follows is not a dramatic unraveling, but something quieter and more unsettling: the realization that moving forward may mean losing parts of himself.

Set in late-90s New York, After Commencement is a literary coming-of-age novel about family, identity, and the uneasy transition into adulthood.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Character-driven literary fiction with strong dialogue
• Family-centered, emotionally grounded narratives
• Coming-of-age stories beyond adolescence

Available now for purchase.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Great Counsel Entertainment
Published: 04/09/2026
ISBN: 9798995689805
Pages: 338
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.76d