Michelle Herman Libri

Exploring the complexities of human relationships, this novel weaves the lives of five protagonists—Jacob, Martin, Caroline, Jeanie, and Jill—through themes of love, marriage, and friendship. It delves into their struggles with identity and connection, highlighting missed opportunities and the intricacies of personal and artistic fulfillment. With a focus on both familial ties and chosen bonds, the narrative captures the essence of loneliness, longing, and the possibility of redemption, showcasing the author’s signature depth and nuance.

A memoir from the front lines of motherhood by a longtime writer of fiction, The Middle of Everything weaves a daughter's memories of her Brooklyn childhood in the 1950s and 1960s, and the shadow cast on it by her own young mother's paralyzing depression, with a middle-aged woman's account of trying to break her mother's mould by meeting her own child's every need.