Off the Yoga Mat

Off the Yoga Mat is an intelligent, refreshing and soulful read. Cheryl J Fish has created three unique and distinct characters whose paths inadvertently cross. Nate, Lulu and Nora are at crossroads in their lives, striving for a breakthrough, wanting and yearning for more. But their pasts haunt them (family and relationship dynamics), and the push and pull between shedding their habits and embracing who they wish to be is realistic and relatable. At times the narrative could get a bit overwhelming as each character had a focus; however, it was highly informative. I was immersed from page one learning about academia, yoga, Finnish culture and the business world. The ending was apt and full of hope and empowerment. Though we time travel back to 1999, there are so many messages that transcend time. This book has left its mark on my head. A 4-star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

OFF THE YOGA MAT follows three characters approaching 40 on a rollicking journey of love, transformation, and jealousy as Y2K approaches.

Nate, a graduate student researching jealousy in Darwin and Shakespeare, denies he ever experiences that emotion. In shielding himself from disappointment, he almost misses out on a scintillating romance.

After she breaks up with Nate, Nora, fueled by the desire to have a baby, takes a temporary job at Nokia in Finland. She sweats in the sauna, tries on men like miniskirts, and embraces the Finnish concept of sisu: perseverance despite setbacks.

Nate’s yoga teacher, Lulu, yearns to get to the bottom of her nightmares of childhood abuse. An experiment concocted by Nate’s friends to test his ability to withstand jealousy pushes him into a steamy tryst with Lulu. While she aids her ailing mother in New Orleans, Lulu meets a woman who helps her confront her violent past. After they become lovers, Nate (jealous this time) reconnects with Nora at a wedding. Their boozy nostalgic reunion complicates everything.

Set in 1999, this book follows three characters who are fated to meet. Wonderful story lines and a nice read, however review TW prior to reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nos habla de 3 personajes, ya cerca de sus 40, pero de una manera muy linda y divertida.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the copy

Off the Yoga Mat by Cheryl J. Fish.

Nora, Nate, and Lulu are at the magical age of forty, and suddenly questioning their life choices. Nora and Nate have been living together, but Nora wants to take the next step and start a family. Nate can think of nothing but his ABD (all but dissertation) status, and Lulu, a successful yoga studio operator, is haunted by characters from her childhood. All three have trouble connecting with others in ways that are meaningful. Off the Yoga Mat follows these three as they try on lives and decide what really matters to each of them.

The novel is well written from the point of view of the three main characters and covers vast swaths of both emotional ground and geography, from New Orleans to Helsinki, with stops in New York City. The characters are fresh, and–mostly--likeable, but not perfect. You will find yourself screaming at them sometimes, but you will always care. Since each of the narratives are wholly drawn, braided together along the way, there are complete casts of characters for each narrative and the number of characters gets cumbersome in the first half of the book. By the last half, the reader will have straightened it out, and will enjoy the ride toward the conclusion. Ms. Fish has written a coming-of-age novel for the forty-year-olds, which will seem ambitious to those younger, and all too familiar to older readers.This is a debut novel, and I look forward to reading more.

Thanks to Livingston Press and NetGalley for this review copy. The Novel will be released on October 10, 2022.

Initially, this book was really interesting. It delved into the lives of Nora, Nate, and Lulu as they scale through their late 30s at the end of the millennium.

This book deals with many themes such as, breakups, thoughts on child bearing, moving, trauma, and academics.

The reason that I think I did not particularly enjoy this book a lot, although it was an amazing read, was because I didn’t connect with the characters. I have not experienced what they have experienced, and I’m not at that point in my life where I will be experiencing it. These characters did not speak out to me because their experiences were not relevant to my own.

If you are into slow paced romance with characters that are middle aged, this one is for you! Cheryl’s writing is a work of art!

A fun book that explores three characters and their coming of (middle) age stories. Not usually my cup of tea but still well-written!