I saw this book on the header of NetGalley and it sounded intriguing (and I sadly know a few people who’ve had a dual pregnancy and cancer diagnosis) so I requested a copy. Here’s the blurb:

“A dark, satiric novel about a woman whose attempt to escape crises in her health and marriage ends up causing more chaos.
Cat’s career has stalled, her marriage has gone flat, and being a stay-at-home mom for two young kids has become a grind. When she finds out, all within a few days, that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably repulsive, she responds by running away from her marriage and her life ― a life that, on the outside, looks like middle-class success. Her actions send waves of chaos through the lives of multiple characters, including a struggling house cleaner, a rich and charismatic yoga guru, and even an ailing dog. What follows is a dark comedy about marriage, motherhood, privilege, and power.”

I have to say – this isn’t what I expected at all. The pregnancy, breast cancer and husband’s actions don’t come to light until about 40% through the book – I’d figured they’d be near the beginning and the book would be the aftermath – but there is a lot of scene setting. And even once it’s all revealed, the stories are still very much told as separate threads.

The chapters are told from different points of view – be that Cat herself, her husband Donovan, the cleaner and even an ill, old dog. The setting – in Canada – is also explained in quite some detail, which is not somewhere I’ve ever been (although is definitely on the ‘to visit’ list).

To be honest I really am not sure what I thought of it. It was ok? Ish? Different? Possibly my least favourite book of the year so far…….

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC. It’s out electronically in July 2023 if you fancy trying it even without a glowing review from me!