Barnes & NobleWe All Want Impossible Things: A Novel by Catherine Newman
Product details
Web ID: 15293273Heartfelt and Hilarious
Edi and Ash are lifelong best friends, but Edi is dying of cancer and spending her last days in a storybook hospice full of charming staff and unlimited food options. Told from Ash’s POV, we watch her alternate between selfish and selfless as she watches Edi, her own memory’s “backup hard drive,” fade a little more each devastating day. I felt her marrow-deep sorrow while I simultaneously questioned her stupid choices. “The inevitability of Edi’s death was like a crumpled dollar bill my brain kept spitting back out.” The story could have easily been unbearable if it had lost its balance, but it didn’t. It should have been too heartbreaking, but it wasn’t. Newman didn’t let me drown in the sadness. Her little bubbles of humor pushed me to the surface for another gulp of air just when I needed it. Ash’s self-destructive behavior, while her lifelong bestie deteriorates in hospice, should have been maddening, but it wasn’t. It was the perfect balance of hilarity (the visual of cancer riding in, yodeling, with raised hatchets) with devastation. And oh, did my heart break. I felt the humanity of all the characters, raw and unflinching. Passages like “the dying and the loss are actually two different burdens, and each must be borne individually, one after the other,” left me breathless. But oh, did I laugh. To quote Truvie (“Steel Magnolias”), “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS has that in spades. I read this as an ebook checked out of the DoD MWR Library using the Libby App.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartwarming
I nearly didn't request the ARC for this book but I am so glad that I did. Catherine Newman has dedicated this book to her friend who died from terminal cancer and her knowledge of the subject and her love for her friend shines from every page. Edi and Ash have been friends for over forty years, they have shared all that life threw at them, their secrets, their sorrows and the joys but fate had one more curved ball to throw their way, Edi had terminal cancer. This story follows the final weeks of Edi's life, it should be a very depressing read but somehow it isn't, there are so many very funny elements to the story, the banter between Edi and Ash, the very open banter between Ash and her daughters Jules and Belle, the ongoing saga of Ash and the men that she is sleeping with whilst her very supportive ex husband is still very much in the foreground with everyone willing them to get back together. On the flip side you can feel Edi's desperation at the thought of leaving her loving husband Jude and even more so her seven year old son, Dash. Ash's comforting speech when she tells Edi that she, his mum had done all the groundwork in his formative years enabling Dash to flourish as he grows into a man, had me reaching for the tissue box. The love, joy and laughter at the hospice paints a very different picture to what people would imagine, Cedar singing his songs for the residents, the animals wandering about, but what shines through the most is the love that was in Edi's room, it was palpable. A very well written book from the heart, immensely enjoyable highlighting that there is light through the sadness. I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A must read! Heartfelt, humorous, and heartbreakin
I love Catherine Newman’s work, and her newest piece of fiction did not disappoint. The whole story felt so honest and full of realistic, relatable moments. The juxtaposition between the grief & waiting at the hospice home and life continuing on outside the walls was handled in such an incredible way.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Friendship and Family Fiction Story!
Bestfriends since childhood, more than forty years, Edith and Ashley have been through everything together. They know each other better than they know anyone else. Now Edith is dying of ovarian cancer and spending her last days in a hospice facility close to where Ashley lives. Ash spends her days talking and reminiscing with Edi, caring for her, being her friend, and trying not to fall to pieces in the process. You see, Ash is a mess. Her life is a mess and she's desperately trying to hold on, while knowing she must let Edi go... When I started reading this book, I found myself indifferent to Ashley. Written in a first-person narrative, it was strictly Ashley talking about Ashley and my impression, from the synopsis, was this story would focus on the friendship between Ashley and Edith. Soon, the more I read, the more I had trouble putting it down. I got to know Ash better and begin to understand how screwed up her life was. Whose life wouldn't take a downturn if their best friend was in the final stages of life? This author has created characters that are well developed and backstories that fill-in all the gaps between them. Two of my favorite aspects of this book is the importance of friendship and family. In this story, the author has merged them together in the most beautiful way. When I finished reading this, my first thought was, "Wow, what a ride". For a relatively short read it encompasses a roller coaster of emotions, has comedic and dark humor, devastating sadness, the beauty of friendships, the love of family, and the loss of a loved one. Yes, it was quite the ride! Now I'd like to listen to the audiobook because I didn't get enough of it, I still get glassy eyed when I think about it, and I want to hear the voices of these wonderful characters bring this story to life for me one more time. I highly recommend this beautifully written story to everyone who can read! Thank you to NetGalley, Harper, and Catherine Newman for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
emotional and heartwarming
This was a great read. It was also an emotional story as it is set in a hospice. It was a heartwarming story about all the things she did for the residents. It was well written and interesting. The characters were quirky and realistic. I enjoyed the storyline, but it didn't fully hold my attention throughout. I rated this book 3.5 stars rounded up as it was better than an average book. It is quite a short story at less than 200 pages. So great for a quick read. I personally think that it might have been better as a longer book. The start and ending were very good, but the middle just went a bit astray. This book brought out some emotions from me, which is always good. If you are unsure if you would like it, just read a sample to see if it is the perfect fit for you. Many thanks to the author and publishers for creating an emotional and heartwarming book.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com