In Dan Morrison’s In the Wake, a man attends the wake of his ex-girlfriend’s grandmother, hoping simply to pay his respects—but facing the woman who no longer wants him in her life forces him to confront just how difficult it can be to let go.

BY SIMEON KLEPAC MOVEMENT I: TRAGEDY “Out of ink.” The coroner clicked his pen fruitlessly. “Here.” Washburton, a round faced man in a...