A heartfelt comedy whose accomplished breeziness nevertheless portrays a complex protagonist going through a momentous season of mid-life growing pains ... Ashenburg ratchets up the novel’s farcical elements while simultaneously meditating on forgiveness and moral growth. Balancing silly and laugh-aloud with sobering, pensive and emotionally gratifying is no small feat, and yet Ashenburg writes with the sure-footedness of a lifetime reader.
Cathartic to read ... This portrait of a contemporary woman is a striking analysis of journalism, adultery, divorce, parenting teenagers, and caring for elderly parents; perfect for fans of Emma Straub.
Ashenburg writes candidly about a complex character who’s allowed to screw up in big ways ... A look at betrayal and forgiveness that nicely balances humor and depth.
Ashenburg’s gratifying latest follows a journalist who starts a dubious friendship with her ex-husband’s wife ... Liz lands as a strong character with complex motivations and a believable personal evolution who transcends the often caricatured figure of the jilted ex-wife. With its fruitful examination of betrayal and forgiveness, Ashenburg’s engrossing latest should appeal to fans of Nora Ephron.
