Maggie

‘A gem of a novel, one that will make you think, make you feel, and make you laugh.’ – Alison Espach * author of The Wedding People *
Katie Yee is a storyteller extraordinaire. This book is like a boat you get on and drift into magical waters, full of heart and heartbreak, teaming with feeling – Delia Ephron, author of The Lion Is In
‘An absolutely delightful debut! An inspiring story of growth and wonder. Highly recommend!’ – Elin Hilderbrand * author of The Perfect Couple, now a major Netflix series *
‘Yee’s delightful and quirky novel takes place during a series of pauses - between divorce and marriage, sickness and health, the unknown and the status quo.’ – The New York Times
‘One of the most delightful debuts I’ve read in a long time’ * The New York Times *
‘Stands out as one of the most unusual literary debuts of the summer’ – Washington Post
‘A short, powerful and joyously life-affirming novel.’ * Red Magazine *
‘Beautifully written’ * The Daily Mail *
A stand-out and must-read debut. This is a poignant exploration of a woman’s unraveling, when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected confession. Katie Yee weaves a tale of complex emotions and subtle betrayals, with a keen eye for the intricacies of human relationships and the quiet, often overlooked moments of life. Every paragraph is perfect – Weike Wang, author of Chemistry
This book is a lump in the throat, a punchline that hurts, a catalogue of life’s curveballs. Maggie is miraculously funny, a tender and wisecracking missive from the midst of catastrophe. Katie Yee knows that at the center of every joke, and every person, there is a broken heart – Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary
’[Nora Ephron‘s] HEARTBURN for the 2020s - the best divorce novel I’ve read for years. Katie Yee’s debut novel…is full of resentment-tinged wit, just like Nora Ephron’s classic.’ * The Times *
‘A wry meditation on grief, healing, and reclaiming one’s identity.’ * TIME Magazine *
‘The best divorce novel I’ve read for years.’ * The Times *

‘A light and nimble debut novel about some of life’s most devastating events.
Between trips to the buffet at an Indian restaurant where they’ve gone on a date without their two young children, the narrator’s husband drops this bombshell: “I’m having an affair.” Days later, the narrator is diagnosed with breast cancer. If this feels like the lead-up to a tragedy, you wouldn’t be wrong, and yet what follows is a spry novel that leapfrogs from hopeful to painful to poignant to silly to tender moments in the narrator’s life: Telling her children the same bedtime stories based on Chinese myths that her mother told her; making lists of things she hates about doctors’ offices; doing internet research on her husband’s new love, Maggie; drafting a user manual for Sam, her soon-to-be ex-husband, with the intention of presenting it to his new girlfriend. (“He hates when his socks don’t match. Also: he loves whimsical socks, but not whimsical ties.”) “I think if enough bad things pile up, they inevitably cross over into comedy,” the narrator reflects. This is true, though the comedy here is never dark or desperate or manic. Instead, the narrator’s dignity and strength make this a novel that crackles with heartfelt intelligence and wit. Having named her tumor Maggie, the narrator decides not to tell Sam about it: a vengeful act wrapped in kindness. It’s one of many steps she takes to affirm her sense of self-quirky, playful, more comfortable with logistics than feelings-and move on with her life. A funny, stirring novel about resilience.’

Katie Yee is a writer from Brooklyn. She has received fellowships from the Center for Fiction, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and Kundiman. By day, she works at the Brooklyn Museum.

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