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Body Language
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26Three adult sisters are faced with their mother’s provocative last request in this clear-eyed and moving novel exploring choice, change, and power in the bodies and lives of four different women.
Sloane, a former actress now working as a therapist, is determined to find a meaningful way through menopause, away from marketing schemes, possibly with the aid of psychedelics. Her sister Laurel is managing her own growing rage and restlessness while engaging in work at an environmental non-profit and raising teenagers. Nanette, the youngest, has answered a long-delayed religious calling and is living as a Novice in a convent. All three lives will be further disrupted when Sloane receives a call summoning her to their mother’s house, Laurel discovers possible evidence of her husband’s infidelity, and Nanette finds herself in the middle of a media frenzy after a spontaneous act of public prayer.
Soon, all three are reunited under their mother’s roof, and no one can seem to agree about anything beyond the Barbara has dementia, as did her mother and sister before her. Will it be an opportunity for the closed door of their very private mother’s inner life to crack open? A lesson in care; a shared responsibility that will be the making of this family, divided by large age gaps, parental divorce, and temperament? Or will a stunning revelation upend not only their mother’s remaining time, but divide the sisters permanently?
With razor-sharp prose and undeniable humor, acclaimed author Meg Howrey brings an American family in the midst of a painful crisis to unforgettable life, interrogating memory and emotional inheritance, the right of a woman’s autonomy, and the indelible bonds even the most disparate of sisters can share.
Sloane, a former actress now working as a therapist, is determined to find a meaningful way through menopause, away from marketing schemes, possibly with the aid of psychedelics. Her sister Laurel is managing her own growing rage and restlessness while engaging in work at an environmental non-profit and raising teenagers. Nanette, the youngest, has answered a long-delayed religious calling and is living as a Novice in a convent. All three lives will be further disrupted when Sloane receives a call summoning her to their mother’s house, Laurel discovers possible evidence of her husband’s infidelity, and Nanette finds herself in the middle of a media frenzy after a spontaneous act of public prayer.
Soon, all three are reunited under their mother’s roof, and no one can seem to agree about anything beyond the Barbara has dementia, as did her mother and sister before her. Will it be an opportunity for the closed door of their very private mother’s inner life to crack open? A lesson in care; a shared responsibility that will be the making of this family, divided by large age gaps, parental divorce, and temperament? Or will a stunning revelation upend not only their mother’s remaining time, but divide the sisters permanently?
With razor-sharp prose and undeniable humor, acclaimed author Meg Howrey brings an American family in the midst of a painful crisis to unforgettable life, interrogating memory and emotional inheritance, the right of a woman’s autonomy, and the indelible bonds even the most disparate of sisters can share.
- GenresFictionLiterary Fiction
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
Meg Howrey
5 books437 followersMeg Howrey is the author of the novel They're Going to Love You, and the novels The Wanderers, The Cranes Dance, and Blind Sight. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, The Harvard Review, Vogue, and The Los Angeles Review of Books. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Want to Read
March 31, 2026I haven't been this excited for a release since I was 11 years old (waiting for the last book in The Selection series of course)
Want to Read
January 7, 2026Have I read They're Going to Love You yet? No. Am I seated for this regardless because the cover is so lovely? Yes.
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Want to Read
December 15, 2025new meg howrey!!! so sat.
Want to Read
April 28, 2026just putting it out there that I am going to inhale this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A classic adult siblings navigate the fraught ties that bind them together novel. While I found each sister interesting, some more bearable than others, I wish there was a bit more to round out the storylines. 3.5/5
Sloane is a former semi-failed actress who has pivoted to become a therapist and is looking into psychedelics as a way to navigate menopause. Laurel is working at an environmental nonprofit, juggling raising teenagers with concerns over whether her marriage is failing. Nanette, the youngest of the three sisters has finally answered her religious calling and is living as a novice in a convent. When Sloane gets a call summoning her to their mother's house, Laurel finds proof of her husband's potential infidelity, and Nanette has a spontaneous act of public prayer that goes viral, the three converge upon their mother's home to help her navigate her late-stage dementia.
The three sisters couldn't be more different, and it becomes apparent that they don't agree on next steps for their mother either. Their mother, Barbara expected this for herself after watching her mother and sister face down the disease, and long ago shared her plans for when it became too much with her favorite of the three. Sloane deals with her own sense of lost identity, her interest in the neighbor, and her sense of authority within the group. Laurel must face the way she indirectly helped her father hide his affair as a teenager, and wonders if her child is doing the same now. Nanette wonders whether God spoke to her, and what she is meant to do with what she heard. Simmering resentments, family secrets, and menopausal hormones erupt as the three deal with their own issues and attempt to help their mother.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Sloane is a former semi-failed actress who has pivoted to become a therapist and is looking into psychedelics as a way to navigate menopause. Laurel is working at an environmental nonprofit, juggling raising teenagers with concerns over whether her marriage is failing. Nanette, the youngest of the three sisters has finally answered her religious calling and is living as a novice in a convent. When Sloane gets a call summoning her to their mother's house, Laurel finds proof of her husband's potential infidelity, and Nanette has a spontaneous act of public prayer that goes viral, the three converge upon their mother's home to help her navigate her late-stage dementia.
The three sisters couldn't be more different, and it becomes apparent that they don't agree on next steps for their mother either. Their mother, Barbara expected this for herself after watching her mother and sister face down the disease, and long ago shared her plans for when it became too much with her favorite of the three. Sloane deals with her own sense of lost identity, her interest in the neighbor, and her sense of authority within the group. Laurel must face the way she indirectly helped her father hide his affair as a teenager, and wonders if her child is doing the same now. Nanette wonders whether God spoke to her, and what she is meant to do with what she heard. Simmering resentments, family secrets, and menopausal hormones erupt as the three deal with their own issues and attempt to help their mother.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I enjoyed Body Language overall, even if it wasn’t a total standout for me. Meg Howrey’s writing is thoughtful and emotionally perceptive, especially when it comes to family relationships and the complicated realities of aging and caregiving. The dynamic between the sisters felt believable, and there were a lot of small, quiet moments that carried real emotional weight.
The story is definitely more character-driven than plot-heavy, so the pacing can feel slow at times, but I appreciated how reflective and honest it was. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you emotionally rather than relying on big dramatic moments.
While I wanted a little more resolution by the end, I still found it moving, well-written, and very human. A solid read for fans of literary fiction centered on family, memory, and complicated women.
The story is definitely more character-driven than plot-heavy, so the pacing can feel slow at times, but I appreciated how reflective and honest it was. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you emotionally rather than relying on big dramatic moments.
While I wanted a little more resolution by the end, I still found it moving, well-written, and very human. A solid read for fans of literary fiction centered on family, memory, and complicated women.
May 30, 2026
I've never read a Meg Howrey book, but I loved this. It was well written. I loved the complicated relationships each sister had with one another and with their mother. Each sister was very different from one another and it made sense that there were some resentments/jealousies/issues within their relationships and that they had such vastly different views on how to help their mom and if they wanted to respect her last wishes. This was a very character driven novel and its one I will be thinking about for a while.
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the ARC i've been most excited to get and I was soooo glad I did!
Meg Howrey is so good at capturing the complexities and tenderness in family relationships and does it with love and humor even with some of the saddest topics.
They're Going to Love You is still my favorite and I wish I felt a little more resolution at the end but I definitely think anyone who liked that / enjoys character driven books ab complicated women (me) would like this.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY this is basically why I signed up for ARCs
Meg Howrey is so good at capturing the complexities and tenderness in family relationships and does it with love and humor even with some of the saddest topics.
They're Going to Love You is still my favorite and I wish I felt a little more resolution at the end but I definitely think anyone who liked that / enjoys character driven books ab complicated women (me) would like this.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY this is basically why I signed up for ARCs
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was wonderfully written, and the character development was top notch. I adored the interweaving stories of these three sisters at an inflection point in their lives. It reminded me of the film Three Sisters, which I also loved. This one is sure to be a hit, particularly with women.
April 14, 2026
this was so incredible i’m freaking out
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
loved obsessed loved!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Reading Howrey is always a new adventure. She never picks the same theme twice. And I’m here for it, because it’s smart and beautiful every time.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews