Wellness

I love a novel with big ideas but only if it remembers to bring plenty of emotion, too. So I was thrilled to find in Nathan Hill’s epic new novel, Wellness, plenty for both my head and heart to hold onto. On the surface it is simply the story of a struggling marriage. But as you delve further it expands rapidly like an accordion. With brio and insight, Hill exhilaratingly explores everything from the history of condensed milk to the class politics of speakeasies.

But let’s rewind for a minute.

This story begins classically: boy meets girl. Both aspire to carve out a place in Chicago’s underground art scene. As they strive to prove themselves and leave a mark, they hold fast to one another. Then all of a sudden the couple find themselves married with child and, to their surprise, unfamiliar to each other. As they fulfill parenthood’s demands and their dreams diverge, they’ve drifted out of each other’s orbit. In order to try and find a way back to each other, each is forced to confront history and things hiding in their hearts and minds.

Wellness puts the things we think we know and understand under a microscope. It made me think deeply about who and what I care about most and left me more appreciative for them. If you are looking for a novel with real things to say about “how we live now” that will stick with you long after the final page, read on!

When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the ‘90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine.

For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other.