How to Sleep at Night - A Novel

A sharply observed comedy of manners about straight marriage, gay marriage, and family ties stretched thin by politics, How to Sleep at Night is a witty and whip-smart debut reminiscent of Fleishman Is in Trouble and Emma Straub, by the New York Times book reporter. Meet Ethan and Gabe. A devoted couple since their early twenties, they have successful careers, an adorable daughter, and a house in the New Jersey suburbs. Sure, they may have slowly drifted to different ends of the political spectrum, but their marriage still has its spark. Then one night Ethan makes a shocking announcement: he wants to run for Congress as a Republican. And he will only do it if he has progressive Gabe''s blessing. For weeks a slightly queasy Gabe struggles between supporting his husband''s dream and maintaining his own lefty ideals. He can feel himself slowly pulled under the tide of Ethan''s political ambitions, even as he becomes widely known as a conservative spouse. In a nearby town, suburban mom Nicole wonders what happened to her younger self--living in New York City, freely dating men and women, and on a path to a career in the art world. Bored and frustrated, Nicole feels like an accessory in husband''s life and she yearns for something of her own. She finds it one fateful morning when an old flame re-enters her life unexpectedly. That woman is Ethan''s sister Kate. A political reporter at a major newspaper, Kate has reached the top of her profession, and her career is at the very center of her life. But the adrenaline rush of chasing a story has lost its thrill. When Nicole--the woman who broke her heart--slides into her DMs just as her brother starts his controversial congressional run, Kate''s life is thrown into a tailspin that threatens to derail the success she''s worked so hard to achieve. A witty and knowing novel about romantic and sibling love, ambition, monogamy, and the ways in which our identities evolve over time, How to Sleep at Night marks the debut of an accomplished novelist with the verve of Jennifer Close, J. Courtney Sullivan, Nick Hornby, and Emma Straub. ...

About the author

Elizabeth Harris is an award-winning reporter at The New York Times, where she covers books and the publishing industry. “How To Sleep At Night” is her first novel. She lives in New York City with her wife and kids.

Summary

 "Funny, charming...you can do no better than to curl up with this sparkling book."--The Washington Post
"By turns insightful, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, How To Sleep at Night is a delight."— J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Bestselling author of Friends and Strangers
“This wonderful debut is about the rough and tumble road that true love represents for all of us." --James McBride, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
“This debut sparkles with wit and insight. I found myself laughing and gasping in equal measure. A true testament to the complexities of modern relationships—this book is a must-read for anyone who's ever wondered how to bridge the gap between who we are and who we aspire to be." —Dolly Alderton
A witty and whip-smart novel about love, marriage, and family ties stretched thin by ambition.
Meet Ethan and Gabe. A devoted couple for years, they have successful careers, an adorable daughter, and a house in the New Jersey suburbs. Sure, they may have drifted to different ends of the political spectrum, but their marriage still has its spark. Then one night Ethan makes an announcement: he wants to run for Congress as a Republican—but only if he has progressive Gabe’s blessing. For weeks a slightly queasy Gabe struggles between supporting his husband and maintaining his own lefty ideals. He can feel himself slowly pulled under the tide of Ethan’s ambitions, even as he becomes widely known as a conservative spouse.  
In a nearby town, suburban mom Nicole wonders what happened to her younger self—living in New York City, freely dating men and women, and on a path to a career in the art world. Nicole feels like an accessory in her husband’s life and like she’s given up on the goals she had for herself. Then an old flame re-enters her life unexpectedly. That woman is Ethan’s sister Kate.
A political reporter at a major newspaper, Kate has reached the top of her profession. But the adrenaline rush of chasing a story has lost its thrill.  When Nicole—the woman who broke her heart—slides into her DMs just as her brother starts his controversial congressional run, Kate’s life is thrown into a tailspin that threatens to derail the success she’s worked so hard to achieve.
“A sharply funny exploration of marriage and ambition, How to Sleep at Night has the feel of whispered secrets exchanged over cocktails with your smartest friend.”–Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street
“This wonderful debut is about the rough and tumble road that true love represents for all of us." — James McBride, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

Product details

• Authors: Elizabeth Harris
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 11.12.2024
• EAN: 9780063353237
• ISBN: 978-0-06-335323-7
• No. of pages: 304
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 229 mm x 24 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; FICTION: Family Life / Siblings, FICTION: Family Life / Marriage & Divorce, FICTION: LGBTQ+ / Bisexual, LITERATURE: GENERAL FICTION, FICTION: Political, LGBTQ STUDIES: LITERATURE, LITERATURE: L G B T Q, FICTION: Friendship, FICTION: LGBTQ+ / Gay, FICTION: City Life