by Aimee Bender
First published 2000
Mona Gray, a second-grade math teacher, has always excelled at one thing: quitting. But her carefully structured world revolves around numbers, the only constant in her life. When the new science teacher arrives, his unorthodox methods and irrepressible charm threaten to unravel Mona's "strange and tidy universe." As she is drawn into his orbit, Mona must confront the supreme disorder of love and decide whether to cling to her solitary routines or take a chance on the unpredictable.
Genres: fiction, romance, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
256 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday