THIS STORY WILL CHANGE

An unexpected announcement by her husband of 15 years—"I am not happy"—leads a wife, brokenhearted and bewildered, to her writing desk.

Divorce memoirs come in two main flavors: the doers and the done-to. This is definitely a done-to, with torrents of internal monologue revisiting and rehashing conversations and events, and the author renders it all compellingly and insightfully. Readers who have enjoyed Crane’s path through autobiographical fiction are sure to love this refreshing memoir. Instead of first person, the author casts herself as "the wife," "she," and occasionally "you,” a technique that creates an interesting doubleness: There is a narrator, and there is a main character, providing extra room for sympathy, evaluation, and analysis. (One tiny, darkly hilarious chapter, titled “Tinder Profile,” does use first person: “I was married for fifteen years. We separated a year ago. I cry all the time still, I can’t think about much of anything else. I hope you find that sexy. I don’t go to the gym. Fuck the gym….Do not ask me to bike ride in the city, I didn’t do it for my husband and I won’t do it for you. I eat whatever food I like, but I don’t cook and I don’t drink. I have no time for your angsty middle-aged bullshit. Grow up. I’m really much nicer than this.” Crane also forgoes names, using "the husband," "her bud," "his kid,” etc. After escaping the small upstate New York town where her carpenter spouse fell in love with his client, the author returned to her hometown of New York City, where wealthy friends loaned her a loft in the East Village. This move marked a turning point in her mental state, which she chronicles with candor and grace. Despite the tumult in her life, it’s clear that people really love Crane and want to help—and readers will see why.

Reading about another person's pain should not be this enjoyable, but Crane's writing, full of wit and charm, makes it so.