Book 24 - The Mechanics Are Iffy, But It Still Works

Title: Separation Anxiety

Author: Laura Zigman

Genre: domestic fiction

More often than not, I find that the allusion to popular culture either comes across as pandering to the reader in the hopes of encouraging some kind of similarity bias, or dives so far up it's own butt-niche in an attempt to target a niche so minuscule that 99% of all other readers are left shrugging. The same can be said about some of the domestic fiction narratives out there - stories that are much too specific and written much too poorly to be enjoyable for anyone other than exactly who they are intended for.

Thankfully, this isn't one of those books. Zigman's story definitely lives in the current age and is relatable for anyone else who lives here. Who hasn't compared their lives to pictures on Instagram, or the wider internet? Who hasn't passingly bemoaned how non-glam real life is without the filters and the golden-hour lighting and the agonizingly perfect portrayal of laisser-faire? Zigman captures how nutso-bananas life can really be, and actually is most of the time (the sadness and hilarity and awkwardnes) in this enjoyable story.

Do I wish the writing itself were a bit zippier, or snappier, or more, somehow? Yes. Do the parts where the protag bemoans the passage of time as she looses her child to adolescence drag on? Sure. But the marital relationship is absolutely wonderful, and the character growth throughout the story feels real - unfinished, nonlinear, and (sometimes) just plain ridiculous.

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓