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I Am Agatha: A Novel
“A beautiful love story and meditation on grief, memory, art, and the deepest secrets we hold to keep living.” —Angie Kim “Reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith’s magnificent Ripley novels...Brilliant and wily...Captivating.” —Maureen Corrigan "Wry, tender, and deeply original." —Christina Baker Kline
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.
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 thirteen-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 as the vast landscape her rustic adobe home overlooks. Loosely inspired by the life of Agnes Martin, I Am Agatha introduces us to this irascible, indelible character who learns—over a stretch of strange, singular days—new ways to fathom life, death, and her own heart.
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.
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 thirteen-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 as the vast landscape her rustic adobe home overlooks. Loosely inspired by the life of Agnes Martin, I Am Agatha introduces us to this irascible, indelible character who learns—over a stretch of strange, singular days—new ways to fathom life, death, and her own heart.
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Published March 17, 2026
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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.
April 7, 2026
a 3.5 but i think this one will grow on me
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.
May 14, 2026
I am Agatha, by Nancy Foley, snuck up on me. Initially, I was unsure about how I felt about this 256-page quiet story with a curmudgeonly older woman at its center. But as I turned the pages, the more attached to the characters and setting I became.
Agatha, is a well-regarded, but reclusive artist. Late in life, and being a focused artist, she relocates to Mesa Portales, New Mexico, after being drawn to breathtaking landscape and magnificent light. It is there that she makes a new friend in Alice, a native to the area. Alice is as different from Agatha as can be, and that makes their relationship all the more compelling. When we meet Alice, we quickly learn that she is the opposite of curmudgeonly. And whereas, Agatha, does not herself have firm roots, Alice is deeply committed to her family’s land which also contains the gravesite of her daughter, Lorna, who died decades earlier. We also quickly learn that Alice is slipping into the later stages of dementia.
The structure of I am Agatha, which takes place over 4 days, took me by surprise, but made this novel all the more captivating, especially as it moved into the second half. I won’t say any more than that regarding the structure because it will surely spoil the book for other readers. But I really like what the author did here.
Agatha is the singular POV, but is surrounded by a fascinating cast of side characters, who all help to carry the story along. Although the publisher’s blurb makes it sound like this novel becomes a bit madcap at times, it's really more of a sad, but heartfelt love story, which also explores themes of aging and grief.
If you enjoy character-focused literary fiction with a strong, older female protagonist, a setting drawn as richly as any of the characters, and an exploration of the passage of time and a life well-lived, with a surprising twist at the end, I am Agatha, may be well worth the read for you. I am happy I gave this quiet novel a chance. I chose to enjoy this via audio, and the narrator did a nice job bringing our protagonist to life. Although Agatha was not a traditionally likeable character, I developed a soft spot for her, and will be thinking about her as well as her life lessons, for some time to come.
Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for an ARC which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily share my thoughts.
Agatha, is a well-regarded, but reclusive artist. Late in life, and being a focused artist, she relocates to Mesa Portales, New Mexico, after being drawn to breathtaking landscape and magnificent light. It is there that she makes a new friend in Alice, a native to the area. Alice is as different from Agatha as can be, and that makes their relationship all the more compelling. When we meet Alice, we quickly learn that she is the opposite of curmudgeonly. And whereas, Agatha, does not herself have firm roots, Alice is deeply committed to her family’s land which also contains the gravesite of her daughter, Lorna, who died decades earlier. We also quickly learn that Alice is slipping into the later stages of dementia.
The structure of I am Agatha, which takes place over 4 days, took me by surprise, but made this novel all the more captivating, especially as it moved into the second half. I won’t say any more than that regarding the structure because it will surely spoil the book for other readers. But I really like what the author did here.
Agatha is the singular POV, but is surrounded by a fascinating cast of side characters, who all help to carry the story along. Although the publisher’s blurb makes it sound like this novel becomes a bit madcap at times, it's really more of a sad, but heartfelt love story, which also explores themes of aging and grief.
If you enjoy character-focused literary fiction with a strong, older female protagonist, a setting drawn as richly as any of the characters, and an exploration of the passage of time and a life well-lived, with a surprising twist at the end, I am Agatha, may be well worth the read for you. I am happy I gave this quiet novel a chance. I chose to enjoy this via audio, and the narrator did a nice job bringing our protagonist to life. Although Agatha was not a traditionally likeable character, I developed a soft spot for her, and will be thinking about her as well as her life lessons, for some time to come.
Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for an ARC which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily share my thoughts.
May 14, 2026
I really enjoyed this a lot! Time to book a trip to New Mexico, because I’m not sure I’ve ever read more love of landscape in a book.
April 11, 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 say, 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.
May 7, 2026
I Am Agatha by Nancy Foley is a haunting, darkly funny, and deeply humane novel about love, grief, artistic obsession, and the terrible persistence of memory. Loosely inspired by the life of painter Agnes Martin, the novel follows Agatha Smithson, an aging artist who has retreated from the noise of New York to the stark mesas of rural New Mexico. What Foley creates there is not merely a character study but a vivid emotional landscape where loneliness and devotion become inseparable.
The novel’s greatest triumph may be its setting. Foley renders the New Mexico desert with earthy intimacy: the dust, wind, adobe homes, dry reservoirs, and endless skies feel spiritually fused to Agatha’s inner life. Mesa Portales is not simply a backdrop but a living force in the novel, a place where silence can heal or consume. The desert possesses both beauty and cruelty, mirroring Agatha herself — severe, self-protective, yet capable of startling tenderness. Foley’s prose captures the physicality of the landscape without romanticizing it, grounding the novel in a tactile realism that gives emotional weight to every scene.
Agatha is one of the most compelling protagonists in recent literary fiction. She is prickly, domineering, sarcastic, and often hilariously rude, but Foley gradually reveals the loneliness and fear beneath her hard exterior. As an aging artist, Agatha wrestles not only with the compromises of love but with the fading certainty of identity itself. Her artistic ambitions remain fierce, yet age has sharpened her awareness of mortality and isolation. Foley writes beautifully about what it means for artists to grow older: how creativity can become both refuge and prison, and how the self-fashioned myths artists tell about themselves begin to crack under the pressure of intimacy and loss.
The central relationship between Agatha and Alice gives the novel its emotional gravity. Alice, a widow slipping deeper into dementia, spends her days mourning her dead daughter, whose grave sits in her backyard like an open wound. Despite Agatha’s aversion to sentimentality, she falls deeply in love with Alice and becomes increasingly determined to protect her from a future controlled by her son Frank, who wants to institutionalize her and sell the family property. This conflict drives much of the plot and gives the novel a strange, suspenseful momentum. As Alice’s condition worsens and she mysteriously disappears, Agatha embarks on increasingly desperate schemes to preserve the life they imagined together.
Foley balances this tension with moments of sly humor and surprising warmth, especially through the secondary characters. Frank serves as a convincing antagonist, though the novel wisely avoids reducing him to pure villainy; his frustrations stem from genuine fear and exhaustion. Meanwhile, the young neighbor Josey becomes an unexpected moral compass within the story. Her loyalty to Agatha and quiet emotional intelligence soften the novel’s harsher edges and remind readers that care often arrives from unlikely places.
What lingers most powerfully after the final pages is the novel’s meditation on loss. Nearly every character in the book is carrying grief that has calcified into habit. Alice cannot leave her daughter behind. Agatha cannot fully escape the darkness of her own past. Even the landscape feels marked by absence and erosion. Yet Foley never allows the novel to collapse into despair. Instead, she suggests that love itself is an act of stubborn persistence against disappearance. The result is a story that feels both severe and deeply compassionate.
With its unforgettable narrator, beautifully realized desert setting, and profound exploration of aging, memory, and grief, I Am Agatha announces Nancy Foley as a major literary talent. It is a novel that settles slowly into the reader’s mind, carrying the ache of loss long after the final page.
The novel’s greatest triumph may be its setting. Foley renders the New Mexico desert with earthy intimacy: the dust, wind, adobe homes, dry reservoirs, and endless skies feel spiritually fused to Agatha’s inner life. Mesa Portales is not simply a backdrop but a living force in the novel, a place where silence can heal or consume. The desert possesses both beauty and cruelty, mirroring Agatha herself — severe, self-protective, yet capable of startling tenderness. Foley’s prose captures the physicality of the landscape without romanticizing it, grounding the novel in a tactile realism that gives emotional weight to every scene.
Agatha is one of the most compelling protagonists in recent literary fiction. She is prickly, domineering, sarcastic, and often hilariously rude, but Foley gradually reveals the loneliness and fear beneath her hard exterior. As an aging artist, Agatha wrestles not only with the compromises of love but with the fading certainty of identity itself. Her artistic ambitions remain fierce, yet age has sharpened her awareness of mortality and isolation. Foley writes beautifully about what it means for artists to grow older: how creativity can become both refuge and prison, and how the self-fashioned myths artists tell about themselves begin to crack under the pressure of intimacy and loss.
The central relationship between Agatha and Alice gives the novel its emotional gravity. Alice, a widow slipping deeper into dementia, spends her days mourning her dead daughter, whose grave sits in her backyard like an open wound. Despite Agatha’s aversion to sentimentality, she falls deeply in love with Alice and becomes increasingly determined to protect her from a future controlled by her son Frank, who wants to institutionalize her and sell the family property. This conflict drives much of the plot and gives the novel a strange, suspenseful momentum. As Alice’s condition worsens and she mysteriously disappears, Agatha embarks on increasingly desperate schemes to preserve the life they imagined together.
Foley balances this tension with moments of sly humor and surprising warmth, especially through the secondary characters. Frank serves as a convincing antagonist, though the novel wisely avoids reducing him to pure villainy; his frustrations stem from genuine fear and exhaustion. Meanwhile, the young neighbor Josey becomes an unexpected moral compass within the story. Her loyalty to Agatha and quiet emotional intelligence soften the novel’s harsher edges and remind readers that care often arrives from unlikely places.
What lingers most powerfully after the final pages is the novel’s meditation on loss. Nearly every character in the book is carrying grief that has calcified into habit. Alice cannot leave her daughter behind. Agatha cannot fully escape the darkness of her own past. Even the landscape feels marked by absence and erosion. Yet Foley never allows the novel to collapse into despair. Instead, she suggests that love itself is an act of stubborn persistence against disappearance. The result is a story that feels both severe and deeply compassionate.
With its unforgettable narrator, beautifully realized desert setting, and profound exploration of aging, memory, and grief, I Am Agatha announces Nancy Foley as a major literary talent. It is a novel that settles slowly into the reader’s mind, carrying the ache of loss long after the final page.
May 5, 2026
Captivating in the weirdest of ways… I’ve always wanted to go to New Mexico and this book only made that wish become stronger. Agatha is hard not only to relate to in some ways… A beautifully strange book about grief and the crazy things it can make the mind do. I think the ending was rushed, and the twist at the end was introduced poorly, however I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about the taboo subjects in life.
April 15, 2026
Voice-driven novel featuring what I would consider to be a delightfully acerbic first-person narration. Stunning depictions of rural New Mexico, including its vast skies, at least one spectacular mesa-canyon system, and steady sunlight falling through many different windows, but especially those in Agatha’s hand-built adobe dwelling. The characters felt distinguished, and the twists were satisfying but not gimmicky. Will read again.
April 27, 2026
I Am Agatha was the most delightful surprise. Loosely based on the life of artist Agnes Martin, the main character, Agnes, is a painter who moves to New Mexico in her 60s. Agnes is a reclusive, cantankerous character who falls in love with Alice, a local woman suffering from dementia. Agnes will stop at nothing to ensure that her beloved Alice doesn't end up in an old folks' home, which is where her son is planning to send her. This book contains an interesting cast of characters, as well as, beautiful descriptions of the New Mexico landscape. I Am Agatha is darkly humorous, but I found Agatha's devotion and perseverance in wanting to take care of Alice so touching. I loved this story and am so grateful to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.
April 18, 2026
Intriguing plot with multiple surprise endings. Funny and sad, intense and interesting. I think this author has a lot to offer and look forward to future works.
May 11, 2026
I liked the writing but the story itself didn’t feel like it was going anywhere… I kept thinking to DNF it, but stuck it out until the end, was it worth it? Not really
April 27, 2026
4.25 ⭐️ This was an excellently written story about a reluctant found family and the lengths they’ll go to not just to understand and accept one of their own, but to protect them. We’re really in a golden era for stories centered on gruff curmudgeonly elders with secrets hearts of gold, and I’m super here for it.
April 13, 2026
Loosely based on the artist Agnes Martin, Agatha is herself a painter who falls in love with her friend Alice in New Mexico. Alice has dementia, and Agnes wants to live with her and take care of her. Alice's son has other ideas. This debut novel is about secrets, love, and aging. Wonderful character driven book, dealing with complex themes. Unique narrative voice. Delightful.
April 19, 2026
As a dear friend said about this book, it was very unpredictable in all the best ways!
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!
April 10, 2026
Thanks so much to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the eARC!
I requested this one on Netgalley on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. I read this entire book in a single day because I was so hooked on the central mystery of where Alice was, and I was equally charmed by Agatha, even though she’s pretty unlikeable. I couldn’t help but empathize with her, and part of me maybe even admired her for being so unapologetically herself, even when that self could be abrasive and supercilious (I’m beginning to notice that I seem to enjoy reading books where the main characters are cranky and difficult, yet witty, elderly people).
While some pretty big things take place in this story, I’d describe it as overall very quiet. The writing isn’t overly descriptive of either the setting or the characters, but it’s not lacking, either. I felt it captured the emptiness and vastness of the desert setting, and I really enjoyed the book’s overall tone in that regard.
It could be surprisingly dark at times, but it never felt heavy. Things that maybe should have felt more disturbing didn’t, somehow, and I credit the dry humor throughout the story to that.
There were two twists in this story, the first of which I saw coming pretty early on, and the second of which I did not in the slightest. I didn’t mind knowing where the story was going because I was just as interested in the how and why of it all, but I was pleased that Foley had a second trick up her sleeve that I couldn’t predict.
If any of this piques your interest in the slightest, you should just trust me and pick this one up!
I requested this one on Netgalley on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. I read this entire book in a single day because I was so hooked on the central mystery of where Alice was, and I was equally charmed by Agatha, even though she’s pretty unlikeable. I couldn’t help but empathize with her, and part of me maybe even admired her for being so unapologetically herself, even when that self could be abrasive and supercilious (I’m beginning to notice that I seem to enjoy reading books where the main characters are cranky and difficult, yet witty, elderly people).
While some pretty big things take place in this story, I’d describe it as overall very quiet. The writing isn’t overly descriptive of either the setting or the characters, but it’s not lacking, either. I felt it captured the emptiness and vastness of the desert setting, and I really enjoyed the book’s overall tone in that regard.
It could be surprisingly dark at times, but it never felt heavy. Things that maybe should have felt more disturbing didn’t, somehow, and I credit the dry humor throughout the story to that.
There were two twists in this story, the first of which I saw coming pretty early on, and the second of which I did not in the slightest. I didn’t mind knowing where the story was going because I was just as interested in the how and why of it all, but I was pleased that Foley had a second trick up her sleeve that I couldn’t predict.
If any of this piques your interest in the slightest, you should just trust me and pick this one up!
May 3, 2026
This is a tour de force—a novel that initially presents itself as a singular love story but ultimately unfolds into something far more intricate: a web of love stories, each refracting the others in unexpected ways.
While the title and premise suggest a focus on Agatha and her devotion to Alice, what emerges most vividly is Alice’s extraordinary capacity for love and the quiet, collective effort of those around her to honor and protect it. The novel asks not only what it means to love someone, but what it means to safeguard that love—especially when memory begins to erode it.
Set in 1970s New Mexico, the novel situates its characters within a specific cultural and historical moment that informs their choices and limitations. Through contextual clues—including Agatha’s connection to Georgia O'Keeffe and references to her declining vision—the narrative grounds itself in a time when queer love often existed in secrecy. This lends an additional layer of poignancy to Agatha and Alice’s relationship, particularly as Alice’s dementia begins to reshape her understanding of the past they shared.
Agatha herself is a deeply complex and often contradictory character. Controlling, stubborn, and frequently guided by her own sense of what is best, she is not always easy to like. Yet she remains compelling precisely because of these flaws. Her love for Alice is undeniable, even as her actions—often convoluted attempts to avoid pain or loss—reveal a tendency toward self-interest. The tension between her intentions and their consequences gives the novel much of its emotional weight.
The supporting cast—Frank Jr., Veronica, Josie, the postmistress, and others—forms an intricate network around the central relationship. Each character contributes to the fragile structure of the narrative, adding perspective and depth while reinforcing the novel’s exploration of memory, secrecy, and care.
What lingers most is the heartbreak at the core of the story: the reality of loving someone who is slowly forgetting you, and the quiet devastation of a love that must remain partially hidden even in its final moments. Lines such as “She drove everyone to exasperation until they refused to believe in the cane at all; but the cane is real and does exist. In that way it is no different than my love for her” encapsulate the novel’s emotional intensity.
This is a story that may take time to fully reveal itself, but once it does, it becomes clear that it is, at its heart, a love letter—one that will linger long after the final page.
While the title and premise suggest a focus on Agatha and her devotion to Alice, what emerges most vividly is Alice’s extraordinary capacity for love and the quiet, collective effort of those around her to honor and protect it. The novel asks not only what it means to love someone, but what it means to safeguard that love—especially when memory begins to erode it.
Set in 1970s New Mexico, the novel situates its characters within a specific cultural and historical moment that informs their choices and limitations. Through contextual clues—including Agatha’s connection to Georgia O'Keeffe and references to her declining vision—the narrative grounds itself in a time when queer love often existed in secrecy. This lends an additional layer of poignancy to Agatha and Alice’s relationship, particularly as Alice’s dementia begins to reshape her understanding of the past they shared.
Agatha herself is a deeply complex and often contradictory character. Controlling, stubborn, and frequently guided by her own sense of what is best, she is not always easy to like. Yet she remains compelling precisely because of these flaws. Her love for Alice is undeniable, even as her actions—often convoluted attempts to avoid pain or loss—reveal a tendency toward self-interest. The tension between her intentions and their consequences gives the novel much of its emotional weight.
The supporting cast—Frank Jr., Veronica, Josie, the postmistress, and others—forms an intricate network around the central relationship. Each character contributes to the fragile structure of the narrative, adding perspective and depth while reinforcing the novel’s exploration of memory, secrecy, and care.
What lingers most is the heartbreak at the core of the story: the reality of loving someone who is slowly forgetting you, and the quiet devastation of a love that must remain partially hidden even in its final moments. Lines such as “She drove everyone to exasperation until they refused to believe in the cane at all; but the cane is real and does exist. In that way it is no different than my love for her” encapsulate the novel’s emotional intensity.
This is a story that may take time to fully reveal itself, but once it does, it becomes clear that it is, at its heart, a love letter—one that will linger long after the final page.
April 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC!
This is one of my favorite understated novels I've read so far this year. I Am Agatha is a quiet, introspective novel that unfolds largely through Agatha's inner voice. We, as the readers, are privy to her thoughts, observations, and interpretations of the people around her. The writing has a gentle, almost stream-of-consciousness quality that makes it easy to move through. The structure is highly character-driven, though plot remains a steady throughline, strong yet subdued.
Agatha is not an especially likeable protagonist, but she is an interesting one. She is an artist- a painter- and moves through the world with a strong sense of certainty, often positioning herself as the one who knows best. Others are treated as though they need her guidance or correction. This dynamic shows up across her relationships. I realized it works most naturally with children, particularly in her connection with Josey (which is probably why I found their scenes together to be the most endearing), but becomes more strained with adults. For example, her relationship with Veronica reveals how quickly Agatha can pull away and withdraw warmth when she is not deferred to.
At the center of the novel is her relationship with Alice, who is a widow living with dementia. They fall in love. Agatha seems to find great purpose in caring for her, but the line between care and control isn't always clear. Alice, who spent much of her life conforming to expectations, seems to move much more freely in these later years. Reading about Alice (her past and/vs. her present), raised subtle questions about identity, autonomy, and whether illness can alter or pull away layers to reveal the self in unexpected ways. One thing that hasn't changed is Alice's love for her children. She continues to watch over her daughter's grave and while that grief is something the dementia nor Agatha can take away, Agatha does what she thinks is right to help Alice along.
The novel itself is somewhat meandering, prioritizing interiority and reflection over plot, which I tend to enjoy. It may not appeal to readers looking for stronger narrative momentum. But for those also drawn to character studies and quietly complex relationships, there is a lot to engage with and explore here. Knowing the history behind the idea for this novel and the author's inspiration made it hit even harder. It's a strong 4 stars for me :)
This is one of my favorite understated novels I've read so far this year. I Am Agatha is a quiet, introspective novel that unfolds largely through Agatha's inner voice. We, as the readers, are privy to her thoughts, observations, and interpretations of the people around her. The writing has a gentle, almost stream-of-consciousness quality that makes it easy to move through. The structure is highly character-driven, though plot remains a steady throughline, strong yet subdued.
Agatha is not an especially likeable protagonist, but she is an interesting one. She is an artist- a painter- and moves through the world with a strong sense of certainty, often positioning herself as the one who knows best. Others are treated as though they need her guidance or correction. This dynamic shows up across her relationships. I realized it works most naturally with children, particularly in her connection with Josey (which is probably why I found their scenes together to be the most endearing), but becomes more strained with adults. For example, her relationship with Veronica reveals how quickly Agatha can pull away and withdraw warmth when she is not deferred to.
At the center of the novel is her relationship with Alice, who is a widow living with dementia. They fall in love. Agatha seems to find great purpose in caring for her, but the line between care and control isn't always clear. Alice, who spent much of her life conforming to expectations, seems to move much more freely in these later years. Reading about Alice (her past and/vs. her present), raised subtle questions about identity, autonomy, and whether illness can alter or pull away layers to reveal the self in unexpected ways. One thing that hasn't changed is Alice's love for her children. She continues to watch over her daughter's grave and while that grief is something the dementia nor Agatha can take away, Agatha does what she thinks is right to help Alice along.
The novel itself is somewhat meandering, prioritizing interiority and reflection over plot, which I tend to enjoy. It may not appeal to readers looking for stronger narrative momentum. But for those also drawn to character studies and quietly complex relationships, there is a lot to engage with and explore here. Knowing the history behind the idea for this novel and the author's inspiration made it hit even harder. It's a strong 4 stars for me :)
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.
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.
April 5, 2026
Crackly and Curmudgeonly, Agatha opens up her first-person narrative with an opaque and befuddling description of an elderly woman, Agnes, confusedly searching for her chicken on the back roads of a village outside of Taos, New Mexico. Within a few pages, it becomes clear that Agatha, reclusive artist that she is, is drawn to Alice and perhaps even drawn back to life by Alice's gentle, kind ways.
So begins this layered mystery wherein two older women find honest love, perhaps for the first time in their storied, scarred lives. Each woman is marked by her own ghosts and governing ordinances: Alice's undying dedication to her daughter's grave and love of beauty and nourishing others and Agnes' insistence on artistic and austere symmetry, hard work, and serenity as a balm for her own past.
But when Alice goes missing one morning even as Agnes is plotting for the two of them to move in together, people begin to appear out of the woodwork, questioning Agnes' actions and motives. With her steadfast 13-year-old neighbor, Agatha sets out to best Alice's son, Frank, who seems only to want to pack his mother off to a nursing home so that he can sell the family properties. The story unfolds with moments of almost slapstick antics and characters who are more than they seem, making "I Am Agnes" a richly layered and satisfying book.
So begins this layered mystery wherein two older women find honest love, perhaps for the first time in their storied, scarred lives. Each woman is marked by her own ghosts and governing ordinances: Alice's undying dedication to her daughter's grave and love of beauty and nourishing others and Agnes' insistence on artistic and austere symmetry, hard work, and serenity as a balm for her own past.
But when Alice goes missing one morning even as Agnes is plotting for the two of them to move in together, people begin to appear out of the woodwork, questioning Agnes' actions and motives. With her steadfast 13-year-old neighbor, Agatha sets out to best Alice's son, Frank, who seems only to want to pack his mother off to a nursing home so that he can sell the family properties. The story unfolds with moments of almost slapstick antics and characters who are more than they seem, making "I Am Agnes" a richly layered and satisfying book.
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.
April 19, 2026
3.5 stars.
The writing is beautiful. As the novel progressed though, I did not like the ongoing pronouncements that Agatha made about her likes and dislikes. These happened so frequently they fell as more show than tell and also made me dislike her more.
I also am torn at thinking that maybe she never learned Alice’s secrets because Alice loved her but didn’t fully trust her from the beginning, with the original sin of building a house on Mesa Portales. There is an entitlement and superiority about Agatha that was funny at times but mostly made me doubt all her choices as selfish and very harmful to those around her. (Poor devoted Josey)
I wish we had a different perspective than her interiority. We didn’t get enough time with Alice and the two of them together. Our only interpretation of this relationship was through Agatha, and a letter from Alice. Again, she’s so firm and arrogant that I want to hear more from Alice. I’m sad that we couldn’t have that voice and she never made choices for herself at the end of her life. From her choice for Lorna, we know she’s stronger than most people give her credit for.
The authors note of inspiration was interesting.
The writing is beautiful. As the novel progressed though, I did not like the ongoing pronouncements that Agatha made about her likes and dislikes. These happened so frequently they fell as more show than tell and also made me dislike her more.
I also am torn at thinking that maybe she never learned Alice’s secrets because Alice loved her but didn’t fully trust her from the beginning, with the original sin of building a house on Mesa Portales. There is an entitlement and superiority about Agatha that was funny at times but mostly made me doubt all her choices as selfish and very harmful to those around her. (Poor devoted Josey)
I wish we had a different perspective than her interiority. We didn’t get enough time with Alice and the two of them together. Our only interpretation of this relationship was through Agatha, and a letter from Alice. Again, she’s so firm and arrogant that I want to hear more from Alice. I’m sad that we couldn’t have that voice and she never made choices for herself at the end of her life. From her choice for Lorna, we know she’s stronger than most people give her credit for.
The authors note of inspiration was interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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