Wreck

"If you haven’t yet reached that stage of life when your body starts falling apart, it may sound terrifying. Wreck reveals the truth: Sure, it can be, but it can also be filled with warmth – a time to lean into your people and throw your hands up as each new indignity presents itself. That’s how Rocky (who you may remember from Catherine Newman’s prior novel, Sandwich) deals with it, anyway, and she makes a good case. Obsessed with news of a terrible accident in her community, navigating the byzantine medical system, Rocky lingers in beauty, too, from the fragrance of her grown daughter’s hair, to the (smug?) satisfaction of turning foraged grapes into sparkling jars of jelly. As a whole, Wreck is both a balm and wry smile – it’s only life, after all (with full credit to the Indigo Girls)."