Love the premise of these short stories. Interesting reads for women especially. Definitely something to keep on your radar when released next year!

It is always a treat to read a new book by Curtis Sittenfeld. Her writing never disappoints.

Her newest is short story collection, in which we meet various characters at pivotal points in their lives. There is a similar trajectory that runs throughout these vastly varied plots: the dilemma of leading a quiet life, married or not, kids, career or reaching for ones dreams and doing anything to get there.

I didn't find the characters in these stories to be particular empathetic towards either others or themselves. In fact, many were unlikeable and there is plenty of cliqueishness, infighting, frenemies, and the like. But the story carried the characters on the someone surprising conclusions, and in the end the reader realizes that the unlikeable woman or man is simply trying to make sense of their own lives, although perhaps doing some damage along the way they may or may not apologize for.

It's a book of stories that makes the reader think: about priorities, satisfaction vs gratification, and with a lot of flashbacks to earlier years in these stories, how to proceed with ones' adult lives.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.