First published 2005
Lydia Rowe listens as her friend George, a psychotherapist with a philosophical bent, explains his theory about disturbances in the field. These disruptions block us from getting what we need, he says. A ringing phone. A child's ignored plea. Most of the time we adapt and move forward. But some disturbances prove impossible to overcome. As Lydia grows from girl to woman, wife to mother, she discovers what happens when such an obstacle appears in her own life. Her dreams of harmony shatter. The careful balance she has built begins to collapse. Schwartz follows one woman's struggle to rebuild herself after everything she believed about her future falls apart. This story captures the weight of real loss and the slow work of learning to live again.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, slice-of-life
384 pages · Paperback · Catapult
Content warnings: mental-illness