The divine Emily Austin just does not miss. She is our generation’s voice of the weird lesbian. This book is part love letter to libraries, part deep character study on panic disorder, part narration of a local news station Facebook comment section. I feel like Emily Austin read an unfortunate Facebook comment section under an article about challenges in her local library and thought “what if this were a novel?”
Darcy is back at work at the library after being off for 2 months due to a mental breakdown. Her ex-boyfriend Ben died and she doesn’t know how, and feels somewhat responsible. He never knew that they broke up because Darcy is gay. It’s years later and Darcy is happily married to Joy. But she is trying to understand her own growth from trying really hard to be liked to being a strong adult that is good with boundaries.
I highly doubt I need to say this but don’t read it if you have radical right wing beliefs. It isn’t a testament to left wing beliefs or anything, but the small but loud radical right agenda is analyzed here, and found lacking. Also- this is way more character study than intricate plot, but it does have a strong arc for Darcy and background every day life reality.
In the Hollywood version, Darcy will be played by Cara Delvigne. Joy will be played by Amanda Seyfried. The unfortunate Declan Turner will be played by Joseph Gordon Levitt.
It isn’t as funny as “Everybody in this room will someday be dead” nor as irreverent as “Interesting Facts about Space,” but I really loved it. Emily Austin has matured in her writing and clearly has a knack for everyday heroes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC. Book to be published January 12, 2026.
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