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I Am Agatha: A Novel
For readers of Elizabeth Strout and Sigrid Nunez, a darkly funny and moving debut novel about the unforgettable Agatha, whose devotion to a widow with dementia (and an inconvenient attachment to her daughter’s grave) sparks a radical reckoning with life, loss, and love’s aftermath.
Have we done a bad thing, Agatha?
Not at all. We’ve been very brave.
Agatha, a bristly painter fleeing her own darkness, decamps to rural New Mexico to live the reclusive life of a small-town curmudgeon. It is there she meets Alice, a mild widow with a deepening case of dementia who keeps steady vigil at her daughter’s backyard grave. Despite Agatha’s rough edges and fierce aversion to sentimentality, she surprises herself by falling in love, and her well-worn convictions begin to upend.
As Alice’s condition worsens, Agatha hatches a plan for them to live together at her remote residence at Mesa Portales. But when Alice’s wayward son comes along with different ideas—and Alice suddenly goes missing—Agatha takes matters into her own hands with the help of a faithful twelve-year-old-neighbor, a pair of shovels, and her trusty pickup, embarking on an unusual mission that calls into question whether some secrets are better kept buried…
Sharp, watchful, at once thrillingly perceptive and hidden from herself, Agatha is as imposing and full of feeling as the vast canyon her rustic adobe home overlooks. Loosely inspired by the life of Agnes Martin, I Am Agatha introduces us to this irascible, indelible character over the course of a strange, singular stretch of days—days during which she learns new ways to fathom life, death, and her own heart.
Have we done a bad thing, Agatha?
Not at all. We’ve been very brave.
Agatha, a bristly painter fleeing her own darkness, decamps to rural New Mexico to live the reclusive life of a small-town curmudgeon. It is there she meets Alice, a mild widow with a deepening case of dementia who keeps steady vigil at her daughter’s backyard grave. Despite Agatha’s rough edges and fierce aversion to sentimentality, she surprises herself by falling in love, and her well-worn convictions begin to upend.
As Alice’s condition worsens, Agatha hatches a plan for them to live together at her remote residence at Mesa Portales. But when Alice’s wayward son comes along with different ideas—and Alice suddenly goes missing—Agatha takes matters into her own hands with the help of a faithful twelve-year-old-neighbor, a pair of shovels, and her trusty pickup, embarking on an unusual mission that calls into question whether some secrets are better kept buried…
Sharp, watchful, at once thrillingly perceptive and hidden from herself, Agatha is as imposing and full of feeling as the vast canyon her rustic adobe home overlooks. Loosely inspired by the life of Agnes Martin, I Am Agatha introduces us to this irascible, indelible character over the course of a strange, singular stretch of days—days during which she learns new ways to fathom life, death, and her own heart.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published March 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5
I Am Agatha is a historical fiction based on the life of reclusive painter, Agnes Martin (who left New York in 1967 and turned up in New Mexico 18 months later).
Agatha lives almost a hermit's life on Mesa Portales, which is land belonging to Alice Roberts, with whom Agatha is in love. However, Alice is suffering with dementia and even though Agatha is desperate to get Alice to join her at Mesa Portales, Alice refuses to leave the home where she buried her daughter Lorna.
The story follows Agatha's machinations as she tries to engineer Alice's removal to her home but she is going against the wishes not only of Alice, but also Alice's son, Frank Jnr, who is prepared to do anything to stop her including getting her lease on the land revoked.
As Agatha is drawn to taking more and more risks, the stakes get higher amd higher as she battles with lawyers, friends and Frank Jnr to do what she thinks is best for Alice.
This isnt really a book about painting even though there are several nods to Georgia O'Keeffe who lived in the same area. This book is more of a love story and how that love can be so all-consuming that it pushes you to do riskier and riskier things.
Agatha herself is a very prickly character who, apart from Alice, really just wants to be left alone. She is extremely opinionated and often comes into conflict with other characters. She is entirely convinced of her rightness but even she will be taken by surprise in the end.
I enjoyed the book up to a point. The plot is good but it is very hard to like such a cantankerous character. In fact most of the characters are dogmatic and unlikeable. There are some surprising twists but this is generally a gentle book but with a few disturbing turns along the way.
I would recommend this novel.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail for the digital review copy.
I Am Agatha is a historical fiction based on the life of reclusive painter, Agnes Martin (who left New York in 1967 and turned up in New Mexico 18 months later).
Agatha lives almost a hermit's life on Mesa Portales, which is land belonging to Alice Roberts, with whom Agatha is in love. However, Alice is suffering with dementia and even though Agatha is desperate to get Alice to join her at Mesa Portales, Alice refuses to leave the home where she buried her daughter Lorna.
The story follows Agatha's machinations as she tries to engineer Alice's removal to her home but she is going against the wishes not only of Alice, but also Alice's son, Frank Jnr, who is prepared to do anything to stop her including getting her lease on the land revoked.
As Agatha is drawn to taking more and more risks, the stakes get higher amd higher as she battles with lawyers, friends and Frank Jnr to do what she thinks is best for Alice.
This isnt really a book about painting even though there are several nods to Georgia O'Keeffe who lived in the same area. This book is more of a love story and how that love can be so all-consuming that it pushes you to do riskier and riskier things.
Agatha herself is a very prickly character who, apart from Alice, really just wants to be left alone. She is extremely opinionated and often comes into conflict with other characters. She is entirely convinced of her rightness but even she will be taken by surprise in the end.
I enjoyed the book up to a point. The plot is good but it is very hard to like such a cantankerous character. In fact most of the characters are dogmatic and unlikeable. There are some surprising twists but this is generally a gentle book but with a few disturbing turns along the way.
I would recommend this novel.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail for the digital review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thank you to Avid Readers Press for this Advanced Copy of I Am Agatha:A Novel. Agatha Smithson is the character you love to hate or hate to love. She is an artist who just wants to live and paint in peace, not answering to anyone, not even herself. But her love for Alice and compassion for her with Alice's increased dementia make this story so endearing.
If you have an intense aversion to writing with no quotation marks, I encourage you to still lean back in the story of Agatha and Alice.
If you have an intense aversion to writing with no quotation marks, I encourage you to still lean back in the story of Agatha and Alice.
October 5, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for the ebook. Agatha is an accomplished artist who likes things her way on her schedule. Now in her golden years, she moves to a remote location to paint in peace, but falls for a widow named Alice. It’s always funny watching an exacting person who can’t control everything and you can never control people, especially a woman who is sliding further and further into dementia. The fun, and the genuine warmth, of the story comes from the extreme lengths that Agatha will go to keep Alice out of a retirement home and under her own roof.
March 8, 2026
If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be spare. There are few extraneous details, minimal background given on the main character, and not much in the way of plot. That is not to said, however, that these are drawbacks. Rather, they are fitting for a main character inspired by an artist whose work is all about minimalist lines and grids.
Agatha Smithson (the fictionalized characterization of artist Agnes Martin) is an outsider in New Mexico, living in a primitive house she built herself after fleeing New York City following some sort of mental breakdown. When she arrives in New Mexico, she falls in love with Alice, a widow slowly fading into dementia. As Alice's condition worsens, Agatha is determined to move her to Agatha's home, a step complicated by Alice's unwillingness to leave the backyard grave of her daughter, Lorna, and by Alice's son, Frank Jr., who wants to move his mother into a care home. Agatha is stubborn and determined, however, so she enlists a young neighbor boy who is always eager to help her in a plan to move Lorna so that Alice will feel at home. Alice is missing as all of this is happening, though, and soon it becomes apparent that Agatha isn't the only one keeping secrets in this small town.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Agatha is abrasive and bossy, and she's not afraid of hurting people by doing what she thinks is best for them. But she is loyal to those who are important to her and unapologetic about who she is.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book will be published March 17, 2026.
Agatha Smithson (the fictionalized characterization of artist Agnes Martin) is an outsider in New Mexico, living in a primitive house she built herself after fleeing New York City following some sort of mental breakdown. When she arrives in New Mexico, she falls in love with Alice, a widow slowly fading into dementia. As Alice's condition worsens, Agatha is determined to move her to Agatha's home, a step complicated by Alice's unwillingness to leave the backyard grave of her daughter, Lorna, and by Alice's son, Frank Jr., who wants to move his mother into a care home. Agatha is stubborn and determined, however, so she enlists a young neighbor boy who is always eager to help her in a plan to move Lorna so that Alice will feel at home. Alice is missing as all of this is happening, though, and soon it becomes apparent that Agatha isn't the only one keeping secrets in this small town.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Agatha is abrasive and bossy, and she's not afraid of hurting people by doing what she thinks is best for them. But she is loyal to those who are important to her and unapologetic about who she is.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. This book will be published March 17, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Honestly, I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! It's a bit outside my usual genre preferences, but I decided to give it a try anyway based on the sapphic and somewhat mysterious angle, and I'm very pleased I did. I Am Agatha is the story of eccentric and somewhat misanthropic artist Agatha Smithson, who in her late sixties/early seventies moves to New Mexico and builds a house on Mesa Portales. There, she strikes up a friendship with Alice, the widow who owns the land where her house sits, and that friendship becomes a relationship that ultimately challenges everything Agatha believes about herself and what it means to move through the world.
I absolutely loved Agatha's voice. Not to say that I always loved Agatha as a character—she is abrasive, self-centered, dismissive, and very "my way or the highway" stubborn especially about interpersonal relationships—but her narrative voice was absolutely wonderful to me. She's funny, surprisingly reflective sometimes, straightforward, blunt and a little odd in ways that remind me of the narrator from Olga Tokarczuk's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. She has so much personality, and to me that makes her an incredibly compelling narrator despite her many personality flaws. The novel's prose is really driven by this idiosyncratic worldview and I think Agatha's voice is strongly reflected in Foley's figurative language and word choice.
As far as the plot, I could see an argument that the plot itself is kind of short, but to me it was so well-informed by Agatha's personality that the short timeline worked well. By nature, because Agatha is so damn stubborn and set in her ways, she becomes an unreliable narrator of her own life and the reader is left to fill in gaps based on the comments and behaviors of others around her. Even though the "mystery" part of the novel turns out not to be much of a mystery, I felt that it fit really well into the story and the context the reader gathers about Agatha's life both before Alice and with her.
Overall I think this was a really enjoyable novel to read and I appreciate the chance to do so! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved Agatha's voice. Not to say that I always loved Agatha as a character—she is abrasive, self-centered, dismissive, and very "my way or the highway" stubborn especially about interpersonal relationships—but her narrative voice was absolutely wonderful to me. She's funny, surprisingly reflective sometimes, straightforward, blunt and a little odd in ways that remind me of the narrator from Olga Tokarczuk's Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead. She has so much personality, and to me that makes her an incredibly compelling narrator despite her many personality flaws. The novel's prose is really driven by this idiosyncratic worldview and I think Agatha's voice is strongly reflected in Foley's figurative language and word choice.
As far as the plot, I could see an argument that the plot itself is kind of short, but to me it was so well-informed by Agatha's personality that the short timeline worked well. By nature, because Agatha is so damn stubborn and set in her ways, she becomes an unreliable narrator of her own life and the reader is left to fill in gaps based on the comments and behaviors of others around her. Even though the "mystery" part of the novel turns out not to be much of a mystery, I felt that it fit really well into the story and the context the reader gathers about Agatha's life both before Alice and with her.
Overall I think this was a really enjoyable novel to read and I appreciate the chance to do so! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
March 17, 2026
Loosely based on a short period in the life of painter Agnes Martin, Nancy Foley’s debut novel I Am Agatha is a lesson on writing companionship, grief and memory.
Agatha loves Alice. She desperately wants Alice to move into her isolated hut, and to shut the two of them off from the world. But Alice’s worsening dementia, her determination not to leave the remains of her late daughter buried in her backyard, and her living son’s desire to move her into care, heavily complicate things.
Seeing the world through an artist’s eyes allows Foley to do what she clearly can do best: write lyrical descriptions, understand human connection on a complex poetic level, and find beauty in the mundane.
It was refreshing to see a same-sex older couple finding love later in life depicted in this book. I have never read a relationship like this before, and as far as I’m aware, it’s all too rarely depicted.
I liked how sometimes I agreed with Agatha’s decisions and sometimes I disagreed. She made for a very human protagonist dealing with very human issues. Her response to Alice’s gradual slipping away from dementia was heart-breaking and yet so important to witness: another perspective undervalued in the literary world that Foley does justice to here.
I think the New Mexico setting is a work of genius. This part of the US harbours myriad ghosts from its complex past that it will never shake, just as Alice stills clings to her deceased daughter Lorna despite her worsening forgetfulness. Lorna’s memory is tied just as firmly to this land as is the memory of its indigenous forefathers, and the flora and fauna that surrounded them.
Subtextual traces of New Mexico’s past seep into Agatha’s present, particularly through Foley’s blending of the human and natural worlds, a literary tool often used by indigenous authors. As far as I’m aware, Nancy Foley does not identify as indigenous, but, to me, her writing style - whether purposefully or not - echoes that of the likes of famed indigenous writers Leslie Marmon Silko and Joy Harjo.
I found this a very compelling read with highly quotable prose and a distinctly human touch.
Thanks to Serpent’s Tail and Nancy Foley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Agatha loves Alice. She desperately wants Alice to move into her isolated hut, and to shut the two of them off from the world. But Alice’s worsening dementia, her determination not to leave the remains of her late daughter buried in her backyard, and her living son’s desire to move her into care, heavily complicate things.
Seeing the world through an artist’s eyes allows Foley to do what she clearly can do best: write lyrical descriptions, understand human connection on a complex poetic level, and find beauty in the mundane.
It was refreshing to see a same-sex older couple finding love later in life depicted in this book. I have never read a relationship like this before, and as far as I’m aware, it’s all too rarely depicted.
I liked how sometimes I agreed with Agatha’s decisions and sometimes I disagreed. She made for a very human protagonist dealing with very human issues. Her response to Alice’s gradual slipping away from dementia was heart-breaking and yet so important to witness: another perspective undervalued in the literary world that Foley does justice to here.
I think the New Mexico setting is a work of genius. This part of the US harbours myriad ghosts from its complex past that it will never shake, just as Alice stills clings to her deceased daughter Lorna despite her worsening forgetfulness. Lorna’s memory is tied just as firmly to this land as is the memory of its indigenous forefathers, and the flora and fauna that surrounded them.
Subtextual traces of New Mexico’s past seep into Agatha’s present, particularly through Foley’s blending of the human and natural worlds, a literary tool often used by indigenous authors. As far as I’m aware, Nancy Foley does not identify as indigenous, but, to me, her writing style - whether purposefully or not - echoes that of the likes of famed indigenous writers Leslie Marmon Silko and Joy Harjo.
I found this a very compelling read with highly quotable prose and a distinctly human touch.
Thanks to Serpent’s Tail and Nancy Foley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I requested and received an eARC of
I Am Agatha
by Nancy Foley via NetGalley. Agatha, an artist escaping the darkness of her own past, moves out to New Mexico to live the reclusive life of a small-town curmudgeon. There she meets Alice, a sweet widow with worsening dementia who spends her days sitting by her daughter's grave. Despite all her defenses, Agatha finds herself falling in love. As Alice's condition worsens, Agatha comes up with a plan for the two of them to live together at her home in Mesa Portales. But when Alice's son comes along with plans of her own and Alice goes missing, Agatha must take matters into her own hands, and embarks on a mission that threatens to unearth secrets better left buried.
At first I was charmed by Agatha’s curmudgeonly ways, but that somehow feels dismissive, a word thrown at children or the elderly and doesn't quite describe how I felt about her. Maybe admiration is better suited. Agatha might be all prickly edges, but I think she's a deeply human and sympathetic character. And Foley’s novel is a wonderful meditation on the relationship between art and artist and the sacrifices that we make to honor our own individuality. I am Agatha, at heart, is also a novel about love in many different and complicated forms. I really couldn’t get enough of it.
This may seem like an unusual comparison, but Foley’s novel almost feels like a marriage between Brokeback Mountain and The Stone Angel. There are times when Agatha comes across as misanthropic and taciturn, but she demonstrates such great tenderness and compassion when it comes to Alice. Both Agatha and Alice wiggle into your heart in different ways, but I came to care for both of them very deeply. This is a quick, but moving story that provides the reader with generous portions of humor and heartbreak. It was lovely, unsettling, and thought provoking.
At first I was charmed by Agatha’s curmudgeonly ways, but that somehow feels dismissive, a word thrown at children or the elderly and doesn't quite describe how I felt about her. Maybe admiration is better suited. Agatha might be all prickly edges, but I think she's a deeply human and sympathetic character. And Foley’s novel is a wonderful meditation on the relationship between art and artist and the sacrifices that we make to honor our own individuality. I am Agatha, at heart, is also a novel about love in many different and complicated forms. I really couldn’t get enough of it.
This may seem like an unusual comparison, but Foley’s novel almost feels like a marriage between Brokeback Mountain and The Stone Angel. There are times when Agatha comes across as misanthropic and taciturn, but she demonstrates such great tenderness and compassion when it comes to Alice. Both Agatha and Alice wiggle into your heart in different ways, but I came to care for both of them very deeply. This is a quick, but moving story that provides the reader with generous portions of humor and heartbreak. It was lovely, unsettling, and thought provoking.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I Am Agatha is a wonderfully strange, elegant, and emotionally resonant novel—one that blends dark humour, tenderness, and a fierce sense of loyalty into something genuinely memorable. It has that off‑kilter charm your reviews lean into: a story that feels both deeply human and delightfully unpredictable.
Agatha herself is a force—sharp, stubborn, and achingly vulnerable beneath the armour she’s built as a reclusive artist. Her love for Alice is the beating heart of the book, rendered with warmth and a quiet ferocity that makes their relationship feel both fragile and unshakeable. The added complication of Alice’s dementia brings a bittersweet tenderness to every scene, especially as her memories blur and her fixation on her daughter’s grave becomes a tether neither woman can quite let go of.
The novel shines in its sense of place: the New Mexico mesa, the small‑town politics, the simmering tensions between those who want to protect Alice and those who want to control her. As Agatha pushes back—sometimes hilariously, sometimes heartbreakingly—the story becomes a battle of wills wrapped in secrets that refuse to stay buried. The humour is sly and sideways, the emotional beats unexpectedly sharp, and the unfolding mystery around Alice’s past adds a compelling undercurrent of danger.
What lingers is the novel’s compassion. It’s a story about love in all its messy forms—romantic, familial, chosen—and the lengths we go to protect the people who anchor us. Freewheeling, poignant, and quietly powerful, I Am Agatha is a spellbinding exploration of identity, memory, and the fierce hope of a life lived on one’s own terms.
With thanks to Nancy Foley, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Agatha herself is a force—sharp, stubborn, and achingly vulnerable beneath the armour she’s built as a reclusive artist. Her love for Alice is the beating heart of the book, rendered with warmth and a quiet ferocity that makes their relationship feel both fragile and unshakeable. The added complication of Alice’s dementia brings a bittersweet tenderness to every scene, especially as her memories blur and her fixation on her daughter’s grave becomes a tether neither woman can quite let go of.
The novel shines in its sense of place: the New Mexico mesa, the small‑town politics, the simmering tensions between those who want to protect Alice and those who want to control her. As Agatha pushes back—sometimes hilariously, sometimes heartbreakingly—the story becomes a battle of wills wrapped in secrets that refuse to stay buried. The humour is sly and sideways, the emotional beats unexpectedly sharp, and the unfolding mystery around Alice’s past adds a compelling undercurrent of danger.
What lingers is the novel’s compassion. It’s a story about love in all its messy forms—romantic, familial, chosen—and the lengths we go to protect the people who anchor us. Freewheeling, poignant, and quietly powerful, I Am Agatha is a spellbinding exploration of identity, memory, and the fierce hope of a life lived on one’s own terms.
With thanks to Nancy Foley, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is loosely based on the true story of Agatha Martin, a famous painter, who left NY to build a life in rural New Mexico, far from all societal expectations.
Agatha Smithson, is a bristly, reclusive painter who has built a life in rural Mesa Portales, New Mexico, far from the art world. She is a woman devoted to her work, resistant to sentiment, and determined to live life on her own terms.
Her quiet existence shifts when she meets Alice, a kind yet forgetful widow who tends to her daughter’s grave in her backyard. As Agatha and Alice’s relationship deepens into unexpected love, Agatha must confront not just Alice’s frailties but her own fears about connection, aging, and loss.
Complications arise when Alice’s son tries to intervene in her care, and Agatha’s solution veers into desperate territory, forcing her to reckon with hard truths about loyalty, agency, and the weight of secrets.
This was an intereseting concept, two middle aged women finding love, wanting to live together and then of course one of their family members intervenes. I just found Alice very obstinate and set in her ways. She doesn't want to move in with Agatha because she can't leave her deceased daughter. When Agatha offers to move the grave, she still says no. So she's ornery and unlikeable and you watch Agatha throughout this story try to break through her shell. But is all that effort worth it?
The other issue I had with this book is that the writing is really flat, not engaging or interesting. I wasn't vested enought to care what happened to both of these characters.
Still a good first effort.
Agatha Smithson, is a bristly, reclusive painter who has built a life in rural Mesa Portales, New Mexico, far from the art world. She is a woman devoted to her work, resistant to sentiment, and determined to live life on her own terms.
Her quiet existence shifts when she meets Alice, a kind yet forgetful widow who tends to her daughter’s grave in her backyard. As Agatha and Alice’s relationship deepens into unexpected love, Agatha must confront not just Alice’s frailties but her own fears about connection, aging, and loss.
Complications arise when Alice’s son tries to intervene in her care, and Agatha’s solution veers into desperate territory, forcing her to reckon with hard truths about loyalty, agency, and the weight of secrets.
This was an intereseting concept, two middle aged women finding love, wanting to live together and then of course one of their family members intervenes. I just found Alice very obstinate and set in her ways. She doesn't want to move in with Agatha because she can't leave her deceased daughter. When Agatha offers to move the grave, she still says no. So she's ornery and unlikeable and you watch Agatha throughout this story try to break through her shell. But is all that effort worth it?
The other issue I had with this book is that the writing is really flat, not engaging or interesting. I wasn't vested enought to care what happened to both of these characters.
Still a good first effort.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What do you get when an eccentric, aging artist hooks up with a woman slipping into the early stages of Alzheimer’s? You get I Am Agatha.
This is a tender, twisted little tale about love, loyalty, and moody‑ass bitches. Our narrator, Agatha, has recently relocated to New Mexico and fallen into a relationship with Alice, a widow whose mind is beginning to fray at the edges. Alice’s family owns the property Agatha rents, and as Alice’s dementia worsens, her son — who has never liked Agatha and considers her a corrupting influence — announces he’s selling the land out from under her. Cue Agatha’s quiet, simmering rage. She’s a classy butch, after all, and she’s not about to be pushed around.
Just as she’s trying to convince Alice to move in with her, Alice disappears. And Agatha, in all her stubborn, steel‑spined glory, starts covering for her when the questions begin.
It’s funny, it’s dark, it’s a little unsettling — the kind of story that keeps you leaning forward, wondering what this prickly old woman is going to do next. Agatha’s commentary is what really makes this book. She’s observant, wickedly petty, and fully aware that she’s the most interesting person in any room, even though she hates to draw any attention to herself.
If you love books narrated by unreliable, isolated older women... think Too Old For This, Elena Knows, or Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead... then buckle up, baby! Agatha’s in the driver’s seat, and she’s taking you on one hell of a ride.
This is a tender, twisted little tale about love, loyalty, and moody‑ass bitches. Our narrator, Agatha, has recently relocated to New Mexico and fallen into a relationship with Alice, a widow whose mind is beginning to fray at the edges. Alice’s family owns the property Agatha rents, and as Alice’s dementia worsens, her son — who has never liked Agatha and considers her a corrupting influence — announces he’s selling the land out from under her. Cue Agatha’s quiet, simmering rage. She’s a classy butch, after all, and she’s not about to be pushed around.
Just as she’s trying to convince Alice to move in with her, Alice disappears. And Agatha, in all her stubborn, steel‑spined glory, starts covering for her when the questions begin.
It’s funny, it’s dark, it’s a little unsettling — the kind of story that keeps you leaning forward, wondering what this prickly old woman is going to do next. Agatha’s commentary is what really makes this book. She’s observant, wickedly petty, and fully aware that she’s the most interesting person in any room, even though she hates to draw any attention to herself.
If you love books narrated by unreliable, isolated older women... think Too Old For This, Elena Knows, or Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead... then buckle up, baby! Agatha’s in the driver’s seat, and she’s taking you on one hell of a ride.
October 14, 2025
There is a popular theme in literature: old people. Is there a proper name for it? Geri-lit?
Usually, the protagonists of these books are charming and savvy and end up teach the youngsters a valuable life lesson. it's all so very quaint.
Sometimes, these old-timers are downright crochety -- gruff, clever, aging protagonists with no time for nonsense. But of course, they still have the heart of gold and still plenty of lessons to teach.
Agatha is one of those. Loosely based on the artist Agnes Martin, Agatha is a tough, stubborn, stout desert dweller who moves to New Mexico, falls in love with an old woman with dementia, and goes about her life in her general non-sentimental demeanor, dispensing her advice, welcome and otherwise. All of that until life throws her a few curveballs, and she follows the genre demands and mellows out just enough for general likability. Ta-da. The end.
It stands to mention that for most of the novel, Agatha, though amusing, veers dangerously close to being unlikable. Her obstinacy makes her too rigid in her ways and inconsiderate to others. So mostly you're just reading a story about an ornery, grumpy old bird. And not a particularly plot heavy story at that.
The real star here is the language. The writing is absoloutely beautiful and has a wonderful, south-west flavored musicality. Most impressive for a debut. And the thing that made the most impression on me out of this entire reading experience.
Thanks Netgalley.
Usually, the protagonists of these books are charming and savvy and end up teach the youngsters a valuable life lesson. it's all so very quaint.
Sometimes, these old-timers are downright crochety -- gruff, clever, aging protagonists with no time for nonsense. But of course, they still have the heart of gold and still plenty of lessons to teach.
Agatha is one of those. Loosely based on the artist Agnes Martin, Agatha is a tough, stubborn, stout desert dweller who moves to New Mexico, falls in love with an old woman with dementia, and goes about her life in her general non-sentimental demeanor, dispensing her advice, welcome and otherwise. All of that until life throws her a few curveballs, and she follows the genre demands and mellows out just enough for general likability. Ta-da. The end.
It stands to mention that for most of the novel, Agatha, though amusing, veers dangerously close to being unlikable. Her obstinacy makes her too rigid in her ways and inconsiderate to others. So mostly you're just reading a story about an ornery, grumpy old bird. And not a particularly plot heavy story at that.
The real star here is the language. The writing is absoloutely beautiful and has a wonderful, south-west flavored musicality. Most impressive for a debut. And the thing that made the most impression on me out of this entire reading experience.
Thanks Netgalley.
March 28, 2026
I Am Agatha is a deeply moving novel, loosely inspired by the painter Agnes Martin, who left New York City and her art behind for a new life in New Mexico.
The story centres on Agatha and her determination to protect and rehome her beloved Alice, who is living with dementia. At its heart is a compelling contrast: Agatha as a rigid, solitary figure, set against the emotionally charged relationships she maintains with Alice and her family. The writing creates a deliberately stifling atmosphere which, at times, feels overwhelming—effectively mirroring the intense, insular world the characters inhabit.
What stood out most to me were the moral questions woven throughout the narrative: who really knows best when making decisions for others, and to what extent our choices leave lasting marks on the future. Good intentions are constantly weighed against their consequences, raising uncomfortable but thought-provoking dilemmas.
Overall, I enjoyed this, though it is undeniably an intense read, with the characters’ frustrations permeating much of the novel. Josey, in particular, is beautifully drawn and deeply affecting. Readers looking for a more reflective, questioning narrative—one that offers fewer answers than it does questions—will find much to appreciate here.
The story centres on Agatha and her determination to protect and rehome her beloved Alice, who is living with dementia. At its heart is a compelling contrast: Agatha as a rigid, solitary figure, set against the emotionally charged relationships she maintains with Alice and her family. The writing creates a deliberately stifling atmosphere which, at times, feels overwhelming—effectively mirroring the intense, insular world the characters inhabit.
What stood out most to me were the moral questions woven throughout the narrative: who really knows best when making decisions for others, and to what extent our choices leave lasting marks on the future. Good intentions are constantly weighed against their consequences, raising uncomfortable but thought-provoking dilemmas.
Overall, I enjoyed this, though it is undeniably an intense read, with the characters’ frustrations permeating much of the novel. Josey, in particular, is beautifully drawn and deeply affecting. Readers looking for a more reflective, questioning narrative—one that offers fewer answers than it does questions—will find much to appreciate here.
February 7, 2026
This novel started well with some fine writing. I quickly became intrigued by the main character and the uncertainty over whether they were male or female. I should’ve guessed by the title. Anyway, this story concerns an artist, not unlike Georgia O’Keeffe, who is in her 60s and falls in love with Alice. They are living in the same landscape that O’Keeffe occupied for so long and the author contends her story is based on the real life artist Agnes Martin.
This love affair is okay for a couple of years but Alice develops dementia. And Agatha has to contend with Alice’s living son, who wants to put his mother in a home and the deceased daughter who is buried in Alice‘s garden.
And so the tale proceeds. It is told almost entirely from Agatha‘s point of view and I found I didn’t always like her point of view. I didn’t always like Agatha herself. She was just a bit too knowing and a bit too sure that she was always right. Then I began to get bored by the story and started to skip through so I could find out what was happening. The ending was good and unexpected.
I read an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers.
This love affair is okay for a couple of years but Alice develops dementia. And Agatha has to contend with Alice’s living son, who wants to put his mother in a home and the deceased daughter who is buried in Alice‘s garden.
And so the tale proceeds. It is told almost entirely from Agatha‘s point of view and I found I didn’t always like her point of view. I didn’t always like Agatha herself. She was just a bit too knowing and a bit too sure that she was always right. Then I began to get bored by the story and started to skip through so I could find out what was happening. The ending was good and unexpected.
I read an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers.
March 9, 2026
I loved Agatha's character. Her dark wit seems to be endless, but her tolerance for idiocy is not. Agatha has a dark past which colors her present and all of her relationships, including that most important: Alice.
Agatha is a "big city" artist from New York who makes her way to New Mexico to accept a guest professorship at a university and settles in a nearby small town. Preferring to live a hermit's life, Agatha has little tolerance for the drama that engulfs all small towns. Then she meets Alice, a local widow, and things rapidly change for both Agatha and Alice.
Their relationship is at times tender and at others trying, especially once Alice's health begins to decline. The drama that quickly surrounds Alice and Agatha soon escalates and eventually comes to a heartbreaking conclusion. Overall, Nancy Foley (This is her debut novel, by the way.) has written a darkly witty, heartbreakingly accurate depiction of what happens when small town life clashes with big city personalities and the price we all pay for love.
Agatha is a "big city" artist from New York who makes her way to New Mexico to accept a guest professorship at a university and settles in a nearby small town. Preferring to live a hermit's life, Agatha has little tolerance for the drama that engulfs all small towns. Then she meets Alice, a local widow, and things rapidly change for both Agatha and Alice.
Their relationship is at times tender and at others trying, especially once Alice's health begins to decline. The drama that quickly surrounds Alice and Agatha soon escalates and eventually comes to a heartbreaking conclusion. Overall, Nancy Foley (This is her debut novel, by the way.) has written a darkly witty, heartbreakingly accurate depiction of what happens when small town life clashes with big city personalities and the price we all pay for love.
April 4, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed the characterisation of Agatha-an unwillingly successful artist who wants no part in all the gallery shows, teaching posts and journalistic acclaim that her work inspires. She has hidden herself away in remote New Mexico and built herself a mountain retreat at Mesa Portales. The story centres around her love for Alice and her desperate attempts to be an anchor which holds Alice together because Alice is sinking deeply in to dementia.
Agatha has a small but strong support network from her New York past but it is her encounters with locals including the ‘ chicken-lawyer’, the postmistress, her young and devoted sidekick Josey, and Alice’s son Frank Jr. that drive the plot. When Agatha tries to persuade Alice to move in with her she meets with stubborn resistance, threats and unraveling secrets.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC. This one was a great match for me- vibrant characters; geographic interest with a strong sense of place; and love…driving people to do erratic things!
Agatha has a small but strong support network from her New York past but it is her encounters with locals including the ‘ chicken-lawyer’, the postmistress, her young and devoted sidekick Josey, and Alice’s son Frank Jr. that drive the plot. When Agatha tries to persuade Alice to move in with her she meets with stubborn resistance, threats and unraveling secrets.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC. This one was a great match for me- vibrant characters; geographic interest with a strong sense of place; and love…driving people to do erratic things!
March 21, 2026
I loved visiting New Mexico, with its history entwined with artist enclaves, Native American and Hispanic culture, colonialism and violence. This book embodies all of that, in waves and layers, and in shocking turns of events that kept me riveted from start to finish, within a day. Main character Agatha Smithson is an outsized legendary artist, based on actual artist Agnes Martin, and the object of her affection Alice is as sweet as Agatha is commanding. My favorite line in the whole book is when some academics ask about her position on feminism, and she is irritated and thinks, "I am not a feminist. I am Agatha."
The characters, the setting, the set-up, the writing, everything here is brilliant and I especially appreciate that Agatha and Alice are fascinating, and concurrently are women of a certain age. I can't believe this is Nancy Foley's first novel, and I can't wait to read what she writes next.
The characters, the setting, the set-up, the writing, everything here is brilliant and I especially appreciate that Agatha and Alice are fascinating, and concurrently are women of a certain age. I can't believe this is Nancy Foley's first novel, and I can't wait to read what she writes next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Serpents Tail publisher for the advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing, it’s very lyrical and thought provoking and actually kept me reading when the story bored me a bit. I love that Agatha is described so well, I really disliked her for her obstinacy, her total inability to accept other people’s views as she believed she was always right, and for the absolutely awful things that she does. However, I slightly liked her love for Alice (slightly as she is a very controlling woman), and her care for Josey and a few other characters. For me the mystery and supposed ‘twist’ at the end was obvious too early in the book, I prefer to be surprised. Overall though I enjoyed the book, mainly for the beautiful writing, and would recommend to others. I hope that Nancy Foley writes a second book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing, it’s very lyrical and thought provoking and actually kept me reading when the story bored me a bit. I love that Agatha is described so well, I really disliked her for her obstinacy, her total inability to accept other people’s views as she believed she was always right, and for the absolutely awful things that she does. However, I slightly liked her love for Alice (slightly as she is a very controlling woman), and her care for Josey and a few other characters. For me the mystery and supposed ‘twist’ at the end was obvious too early in the book, I prefer to be surprised. Overall though I enjoyed the book, mainly for the beautiful writing, and would recommend to others. I hope that Nancy Foley writes a second book.
March 22, 2026
Agatha, a painter, is a friend/partner to Alice, a sweet widowed woman suffering from dementia, who lost her daughter. While Agatha usually keeps to herself, she befriends a select few to enhance her life. This novel looks at those relationships and the loyalty Agatha has to those people. In particular, she is very guarded and protective of Alice as they navigate growing older.
This novel is loosely based on painter Agatha Martin while she lived in New Mexico.
Thank you Nancy Foley and Avid Reader Press for the gifted advanced copy of this book. I ended up listening and reading this as an immersive read, which I really enjoyed. The narrator was spot on with the tone of the novel. I Am Agatha is out now in all formats.
This novel is loosely based on painter Agatha Martin while she lived in New Mexico.
Thank you Nancy Foley and Avid Reader Press for the gifted advanced copy of this book. I ended up listening and reading this as an immersive read, which I really enjoyed. The narrator was spot on with the tone of the novel. I Am Agatha is out now in all formats.
October 24, 2025
3.65 stars. It was interesting in this novel to find out more about the real-life painter Agatha Smithson and her later life in New Mexico. The imagery it paints is strong and I could picture Agatha and her life contours especially at Mesa Portales .... and as it plays out among those she knew and the woman Alice whom she gets swept away by. Agatha in her 60s is a pretty strong-willed and minded person and she faces some hard truths and tragic happenstances along the way. It's poignant and evocative.
October 30, 2025
Lol she just wanted to paint in peace!
Agatha is leaving her current life and issues behind to live reclusively in New Mexico. She wants to live a small life as a town grump, but everything changes when she meets Alice. Alice has dementia, but Agatha falls for Alice. But when Alice's son shows up, she suddenly goes missing. Agatha and her 12 year old neighbor are going to do everything they can to find out what happened to Alice.
I was so genuinely surprised with the main character being older. I love an elderly MC looking to start their life over. Agatha was stubborn and obstinate at times. She possess the particularities of Ove which made me like her so much. She meets Alice who is the exact opposite of her. We see her genuinely care for her and is willing to keep Alice in her own home. I'm not typically a fan of character driven novels with big plot points, but this one worked. I appreciated Agatha's willingness to open up and soften to the world.
Thank you, Avid Reader Press, for the gifted advanced copy!
Agatha is leaving her current life and issues behind to live reclusively in New Mexico. She wants to live a small life as a town grump, but everything changes when she meets Alice. Alice has dementia, but Agatha falls for Alice. But when Alice's son shows up, she suddenly goes missing. Agatha and her 12 year old neighbor are going to do everything they can to find out what happened to Alice.
I was so genuinely surprised with the main character being older. I love an elderly MC looking to start their life over. Agatha was stubborn and obstinate at times. She possess the particularities of Ove which made me like her so much. She meets Alice who is the exact opposite of her. We see her genuinely care for her and is willing to keep Alice in her own home. I'm not typically a fan of character driven novels with big plot points, but this one worked. I appreciated Agatha's willingness to open up and soften to the world.
Thank you, Avid Reader Press, for the gifted advanced copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. This seems like a quiet little book about an artist in love with another woman who has dementia. The artist goes to a lot of trouble to make things look a certain way, but then we find out a truth bomb which suddenly changes everything. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it's worth it to read through to the end of the book. The description of the New Mexico views let me feel like I had been on a little trip to the southwest.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I'm a bit torn on "I Am Agatha." The prose is undeniably poetic and vividly captures the inner world of a tortured artist (no pun intended). However, the storyline itself didn't quite resonate with me. Interestingly, the author's note essentially summarizes the arc of the novel in a single page without revealing the small twist at the end, which I'll admit was intriguing, but ultimately not enough to elevate the story for me. Despite the strong, atmospheric writing, I never fully connected with the narrative in a way that made the journey feel compelling.
March 22, 2026
Talented, reclusive painter Agatha has long preferred solitude on her remote New Mexico homestead. Alice, a kind widow with dementia who owns the land Agatha leases, moves through the world in flashes of clarity and surprising warmth. When an unlikely romance blossoms between them, Agatha imagines a life together—until Alice’s stubborn son, insisting she needs professional care, threatens their fragile future. As the story unfolds, Agatha’s fierce independence softens as she reluctantly accepts help from the few friends she’s cultivate around her.
November 11, 2025
In its wise exploration of love’s insistent challenge to any sense of certainty age may deliver, I Am Agatha is at once a romance, a mystery, and a marvel. In witty, lyric prose, Nancy Foley maps Agatha’s wry, unsparing voice onto the rugged beauty of rural New Mexico. Each new chapter with these unforgettable characters is a surprise and a delight—Foley’s writing is as striking and evocative as the art on which the novel is based.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a novel to read when you’re emotionally prepared for heartache. The protagonist Agatha is interesting to follow and funny, but losing someone you love to dementia is a heart wrenching thing. I felt the author illustrated Alice’s decline beautifully. There is a coziness in the setting of New Mexico. A story of love, loss, and conviction.
Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was asked by NetGalley to review ths quite sad, eccentric but beautifully written story.
Agatha just wants to paint, but when she meets Alice things change. Alice has dementia. Agatha for some will hate her, she is arrogant and a tough old bird. She cares really deeply for Alice and this is what makes this story so endering.
Well the ending was not what I expected one bit.
What a great debut novel. So recommended.
Due for publication April 2nd 2026
Agatha just wants to paint, but when she meets Alice things change. Alice has dementia. Agatha for some will hate her, she is arrogant and a tough old bird. She cares really deeply for Alice and this is what makes this story so endering.
Well the ending was not what I expected one bit.
What a great debut novel. So recommended.
Due for publication April 2nd 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
fantastic story. i absolutely loved the main character and Alice was a really fun character as well. the writing style was effective, the plot built up well, and the ending was great. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
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Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Agatha is blunt and can seem harsh at times but she is so devoted to Alice. I appreciate how she goes about her life unworried about others’ opinions and giving unsolicited (and most of the time unwanted) advice. The ending was not at all what I expected but exactly what I needed!
THANK YOU AVID READERS PRESS FOR THE ARC!
THANK YOU AVID READERS PRESS FOR THE ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm a bit on the fence about this one.
I didn't find Agatha grumpy or endearing enough to actually like her.
But there were moments, quite often, that would just draw me back in, and I'd think "This is great"
So, a mixed bag for me, but an interesting ending, making it all worthwhile.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
I didn't find Agatha grumpy or endearing enough to actually like her.
But there were moments, quite often, that would just draw me back in, and I'd think "This is great"
So, a mixed bag for me, but an interesting ending, making it all worthwhile.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.
March 24, 2026
I Am Agatha is a story of love, loss, and conviction. The story takes place in New Mexico. The only person Agatha really cares about is Alice whose dementia is rapidly advancing.
I believe that Agatha Smithson is a character you either love or hate. I've recently lost someone in dementia - that might inflect on my review.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
I believe that Agatha Smithson is a character you either love or hate. I've recently lost someone in dementia - that might inflect on my review.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
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