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librarydosebykristy 's review for:

The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin
5.0

Oof. I loved this book. It pulled me out of a serious reading slump I’ve been struggling with for weeks now. A modern retelling of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, this book tells the story of a family living in Western Massachusetts in the aftermath of the Trump election trying to answer the essential question “What happened ?” It’s about the confirmation of Supreme Court Judge Kavanaugh and the rage and trauma it sparked in women who were already filled with rage and trauma. It’s about a husband trying to be good, trying to understand his wife’s rage but also feeling hopeless and lost himself in the new reality. It’s about living with a difficult child and being constantly exhausted by the neverending battle over simple routines like convincing her to wear socks and answer a question and go to sleep. But it’s also about loving that child and feeling helpless at the knowledge that other people will never quite understand her and her journey in the world will be a hard one.
There are so many things in this brilliant book! It’s very much perfect for the times we live in and Ali Benjamin has constructed such a lovely balanced story that is both profound and a pleasure.
Read this if you want something to help you make sense of our current political landscape. It’s not an escapist read, but more of an empathetic reflection.