We All Want Impossible Things

 

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

Fiction

2022 Harper

Finished on April 1, 2023

Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding)

Publisher's Blurb:

Edi and Ash have been best friends for over forty-two years. They've shared the mundane and the momentous together: trick-or-treating and binge-drinking; Gilligan's Island reruns and R.E.M. concerts; hickeys and heartbreak; surprise Scottish wakes; marriages, infertility, and children. As Ash says, "Edi's memory is like the backup hard drive for mine."

But now the unthinkable has happened. Edi is dying of ovarian cancer and spending her last days at a hospice near Ash, who stumbles into heartbreak surrounded by her daughters, ex(ish)-husband, dear friends, a poorly chosen lover (or two), and a rotating cast of beautifully, fleeting human hospice characters.

As the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack blasts all day long from the room next door, Edi and Ash reminisce, hold on, and try to let go. Meanwhile, Ash struggles with being an imperfect friend, wife, and parent--with life, in other words, distilled to its painful, joyful, and comedic essence.

For anyone who's ever lost a friend or had one, get ready to laugh through your tears. 

I adored this book! I first noticed it on Instagram (thank you, Bookstagrammers!) and added it to my list, but wasn't planning to get it right away because hyped books tend to fail me. And yet, when I saw it on the library's new release shelf, I couldn't resist. I'm very happy to report that it's worthy of all the praise.

Death, particularly death from cancer, isn't exactly a cheerful topic, but Catherine Newman's humor provides levity to an obviously heartbreaking story. 

"Hey," I say. "I'm an optimist."

"Ash," she says. "You drive with your hazards on for no reason. You are not an optimist."

I initially thought this would be a story about two friends--one who is dying and one who will soon be grieving--but it's so much more than that. It's about friends and family and the kindness of strangers. It's also about the loving care of hospice workers. I recently read Ann Patchett's essay about the loss of her friend, Sooki, and now reading this novel, I am once again touched by the tenderness and beauty of watching over a loved one during their final moments. The circle of life...

Even more than Ash and Edi's friendship, I enjoyed the interactions and gentle love between Ash and her daughters, Belle and Jules. Belle's lines are the highlight of the novel and I have my fingers crossed that Newman writes another novel filled with characters like Belle.

While I've given the book a five-star rating, I do have a couple of quibbles. The usage of "anyways" (which grates on my nerves) is repeatedly spoken by one character and thus, not an editorial mistake, but a deliberate use of slang. I eventually got used to it, but it was a distraction. The second frustration was the confusion about the relationship between characters; there were too many names beginning with the same letter (Jules, Jude, Jonathan). Which was the spouse? Which daughter? A sibling? A simple change of names would have made for a smoother read.

We All Want Impossible Things is a short novel, clocking in at 209 pages, which makes it very tempting to re-read right away. Catherine Newman has written a middle-grade novel and a couple of children's life-skill books. She has also written two memoirs about parenthood, which I am long past needing, but I enjoy her writing so well, I'm tempted to read them just for the laughs. In her author blurb on the back cover of We All Want Impossible Things, she states,

This is her first adult novel. Not, like, adult adult in the porn way. Just, you know, for grown-ups.

I'm not the only reader who appreciates her sense of humor:

"A novel set in a hospice has no right to be as hilarious, charming, and hopeful as We All Want Impossible Things. With Nora Ephron-style lightness, Catherine Newman has constructed a truly singular tale of love and friendship. I loved it." (Joanna Rakoff, bestselling author of My Salinger Year)

"Catherine Newman sees the heartbreak and comedy of life with wisdom and unflinching compassion. The way she finds the extraordinary in the everyday is nothing short of poetry. She's a writer's writer--and a human's human." (Katherine Center, author of Things You Save in a Fire) 

This is a lovely, heartwarming book. I didn't want it to end, but I couldn't put it down. While I wait for more adult fiction from Catherine Newman, I plan to immerse myself in her numerous online articles (here and here).

Note to audiobook readers: I listened to a sample of the audiobook and didn't care for the reader. This is one to read in the print format.