Everything Here is Under Control

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Amanda Flood's baby keeps her up all night, and her longtime partner, Gabe, is not much help. When she's had enough of Gabe, she runs from New York to the home of her best friend, Carrie, who's made a life in their rural hometown of Deerling, Ohio, despite the town's many failings. Carrie gave birth to daughter Nina as a teenager, and Amanda is relieved to have her support. But there is still a rift between them, one that split and spread long ago and has grown over the years. Can Carrie and Amanda come to terms with all their friendship has been and will be? There is so much to examine here, from the harrowing experience of new motherhood to the role of a father in an infant's first days. Amanda's complex relationship with Deerling, which includes her own mother, is worth noting, too, and a twist midway through the book adds great intensity to the story. But the heart of the novel is Carrie and Amanda's friendship, with all its sorrow and joy. A perfect selection for book groups.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 10, 2020
Adrian’s meticulous, wry adult debut (after the YA novel The Foreseeable Future) follows 31-year-old new mother Amanda through her insecurities and anxieties. Amanda’s son, Jack, is two and a half months old, and Amanda is unable to think from sleep deprivation. She’s overwhelmed by her new role, musing how pediatricians never ask her name because she’s just “Mom.” Though her partner, Gabe, is present, he never helps in the night and takes her sacrifices as a given. After another wakeful evening, Amanda leaves her and Gabe’s apartment in Queens for her hometown of Deerling, Ohio. On the drive, Amanda is unnerved by Trump signs along the way. She decides to surprise her former best friend, Carrie, with a visit. Carrie gave birth to a daughter, Nina, when she and Amanda were 18, and Amanda was at Carrie’s side for Nina’s birth but left soon after. Now Carrie is a sought-after tattoo artist, and Nina is nearly 13. Carrie would like to leave Republican Ohio, but she has a thriving business and doesn’t know where she would go. Meanwhile, Carrie helps Amanda rediscover herself, and after befriending Nina, Amanda begins to see she can handle being a mother. Adrian’s portrayal of the ups and downs of motherhood will resonate with readers. Agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House.