Grace Porter is a high-achieving astronomer who has spent her life meeting her father’s rigid expectations. After finishing her PhD, she takes an impulsive trip to Las Vegas and wakes up married to Yuki Yamamoto, a woman she barely knows. Reeling from the pressure of a stagnant job market and the weight of being a Black woman in a white-dominated academic field, Grace flees her life in Portland. She spends the summer in New York City with Yuki and a group of chosen family, attempting to reconcile her professional ambitions with a growing mental health crisis.
This book serves readers navigating the transition into adulthood who feel burdened by perfectionism or parental pressure. It addresses the reality of professional burnout and the difficulty of admitting when a career path no longer fits. Readers find a depiction of queer community and the importance of finding support systems outside of traditional family structures. The narrative provides a look at how to rebuild an identity after the collapse of a long-term plan, centering on the necessity of rest and self-forgiveness.
Inward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
