Work to Do

by Jules Wernersbach

When Eleanor founded Guadalupe Street Co-op in the early 1980s, she was in her mid-twenties and madly in love with her girlfriend, Meg. Together, they envisioned an idyllic grocery store owned by its workers and customers.

Forty years later, Guadalupe Street Co-op is an iconic Austin business with a loyal customer base, an antiquated business model, and a disgruntled staff. Roz, one of the store’s senior managers, is too caught up stalking her ex-wife online to notice that her girlfriend, Molly, is plotting with her coworkers to unionize. Roz also doesn’t see that Molly is not-so-secretly in a situationship with Randy, the dairy manager leading their collective.

Unfolding over the course of a single week during Texas hurricane season, Work to Do pings between the co-op’s first year and present day, as the unionization bid reaches fever pitch. The wind howls, the power goes out, and water creeps through the front door, as questions of who owns the grocery store and who has a right to its future are posed. And will the workers ever be paid enough to buy the organic groceries they shelve?

Genres: Adult, Queer, Fiction, Literary Fiction

252 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

Jules Wernersbach is a writer and bookseller in Brooklyn. Their debut novel, Work To Do, is coming from University of Iowa Press in 2026. Their short fiction has been published in Bennington Review, Heavy Feather Review, and other journals. They are the author of Vegan Survival Guide to Austin and The Swimming Holes of Texas. Jules is the co-owner of Hive Mind Books, an independent queer bookstore and coffee shop in Bushwick, Brooklyn. They have been a bookseller for a long time and also served as literary director of the Texas Book Festival.

Reviews

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

something i really appreciated about this was that everyone depicted felt fully human. there were frustrating moments from all perspectives as well as sympathetic ones, which makes them all the more relatable! these glimmers of true humanity are what allow us to fully connect with the characters on page – or, as my fiancée’s students would say, they can serve as mirrors or windows, allowing us to see the world through someone else’s eyes or see our own world reflected back at us. i find that a lot of authors are often afraid to have their characters make poor choices or say the wrong thing sometimes, so it was refreshing to see such well-rounded characters in this book.

though i’ve never worked in a grocery store, some of the experiences reflected in the text resonated with me as someone who’s worked in customer service (panera specifically… i shudder recalling my days there). one difference i found interesting was watching them go through the same bullshit i did under a local business’s infrastructure as opposed to a large chain – i can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to deal with the day-to-day stupidity while being told that “we’re a family”. no! i’m your employee! i am here for a paycheck! i really sympathized with the staff while reading and got so frustrated on their behalf. it felt like i was in it alongside them! this was a quick but impactful read for anyone.

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Work to Do describes a chaotic week at a local grocery co-op in Austin during hurricane season as the workers try to unionize, from the POV of the owner, a middle manager, and long-time employee. Each character is also dealing with things in their personal lives and has understandable reasons to be for or against unionization. I really like that each character was shown sympathetically and the complexities of the struggles of retail staff vs. running a small business were shown realistically. Really interesting topic and read.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Iowa Press for the ARC! Also, shoutout to Hive Mind Books.

[tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was as fast as a rush at work when you’re in the thick of it and then finally stop and look up and two hours have passed. i read it in one gulp and thought about it for hours after. it spoke directly to me in a lot of ways, but should be read by everyone even if you didn’t work in customer service. if you did, though, this might be a special treat just for you.