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A Novel
by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Book Reviewed by:A finely observed, timely exploration of marriage, divorce, and the bewildering dynamics of ambition from one of the most exciting writers working today.
Toby Fleishman thought he knew what to expect when he and his wife of almost fifteen years separated: weekends and every other holiday with the kids, some residual bitterness, the occasional moment of tension in their co-parenting negotiations. He could not have predicted that one day, in the middle of his summer of sexual emancipation, Rachel would just drop their two children off at his place and simply not return. He had been working so hard to find equilibrium in his single life. The winds of his optimism, long dormant, had finally begun to pick up. Now this.
As Toby tries to figure out where Rachel went, all while juggling his patients at the hospital, his never-ending parental duties, and his new app-assisted sexual popularity, his tidy narrative of the spurned husband with the too-ambitious wife is his sole consolation. But if Toby ever wants to truly understand what happened to Rachel and what happened to his marriage, he is going to have to consider that he might not have seen things all that clearly in the first place.
A searing, utterly unvarnished debut, Fleishman Is in Trouble is an insightful, unsettling, often hilarious exploration of a culture trying to navigate the fault lines of an institution that has proven to be worthy of our great wariness and our great hope.
Although the characters are a narrow group of firmly elite and upper-class Manhattanites...the greater themes will most likely resonate with many readers. All in all, Fleishman is in Trouble is an astute look at the complexities of long term relationships—both romantic and platonic—and what it means to grow and change while simultaneously staying devoted and committed...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by Sarah Tomp).
Toby Fleishman, of Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, is a hepatologist, a doctor who specializes in treating the liver, gall bladder and pancreas primarily. At one point in the novel, he diagnoses a patient with a genetic disorder called Wilson's disease. This rare condition causes copper to accumulate in the liver, brain and other organs, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, clumsiness, confusion, and, if untreated, death.
I was surprised to learn that we all ingest—and require—small amounts of copper in our diet. Copper aids in the absorption of iron, contributing to healthy blood and bones. It is naturally absorbed into plant matter, which we then eat either directly, or indirectly through the animals we ...
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Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest
Blisteringly funny, feverishly smart, heartbreaking, and true... . Fleishman Is in Trouble is an essential read for anyone who's wondered how to navigate loving (and hating) the people we choose.
