Meantime

by Katharine Noel

Katharine Noel—the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of Halfway House —returns with a wise and moving second novel about the bond between two sisters whose stable lives are suddenly uprooted.

Claire has never had a typical family. When she was nine, her father fell in love with a married woman, and the two households agreed to live under one roof. Nicknamed "the Naked Family," they were infamous in the community for their eccentric, free-spirited lifestyle. Now, her stepsister Nicole has set her mind to having a baby on her own, and Claire's husband is enthusiastic about starting a family as well. But Claire wants to avoid an ordinary existence at all costs. Then Jeremy becomes seriously ill, and his high-school sweetheart Gita is a bit too eager to lend a hand in his recovery. As Claire's suspicion of their relationship grows, she feels more distant from the people she loves. Faced with Nicole's pregnancy and Jeremy's increasing closeness with his ex, Claire must decide what she's willing to sacrifice for independence.

Meantime is an insightful story of how individuals shape their families while discovering their truest sense of self. With humanity and humor, Noel examines the delicate connections between spouses, siblings, parents and children.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Katharine Noel’s first novel, Halfway House, was a New York Times Editors' Choice and winner of a Ken/NAMI Award for "outstanding literary contributions to a better understanding of mental illness," and the 2006 Kate Chopin prize for fiction. Her second novel, Meantime, will be published in November 2016. She has been the Writer in Residence at Claremont McKenna College and the Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, where she held Wallace Stegner and Truman Capote fellowships. Katharine lives with her husband, the writer Eric Puchner, and their children in Baltimore, Maryland, where she teaches at Johns Hopkins University.

photo by Anna Carson DeWitt

Reviews

[Terry Tessar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of odd, but a quick read.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Different!?! Weird?!? Strange!?!

[NicoleinFiction · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weird as hell and not in a good way.

[Alyssa Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher at BEA 2016. This is an honest review.*

This is an interesting book that deals with the simple realities of life, especially focusing on relationships and how they define a person. This book focuses on Claire, who had an interesting childhood growing up, but that is simply a backdrop to the main story of Claire’s faltering relationship with her husband, which affects everything she does within the main storyline. As her relationship because more distant, she is increasingly aware of just how much of her life revolves around her husband and the life that they made together and she’s faced with the same choice her parents had to make when she was a child: does she rip it apart and start fresh, or does she try to live with the changing reality?

Aside from a few main plot points, like Claire’s husband Jeremy being hospitalized, and Claire’s sister getting pregnant, not a whole lot really happens in this book. It’s mostly an introspective journey that the reader takes with Claire, who is forced to re-examine everything about her life. I enjoyed it for its gritty reality in showing how relationships often work. Neither Claire nor Jeremy are perfect people; nobody is ever perfectly right, and they both commit wrongs on each other. Claire isn’t the sainted wife dutifully taking care of her husband in ICU, she is certainly doing that, but it takes its toll on her and she and Jeremy both end up a little snippy with each other because of how exhausted and miserable they both are. My favorite scene is one where Claire is reaching her breaking point with Jeremy and his new closeness with his ex, so she sets a trap for him. No, it’s not mature, but I don’t know any adult who would be perfectly mature in her situation, so I appreciated it for its reality.

Mainly, I appreciated this novel for its ability to allow me to reflect on my own life and my own concepts about relationships and what I find important in them. This was a hard, sad story, but it contains ideas that everyone can appreciate, even if they don’t agree with the character’s choices or reactions. If you’re looking for a more reflective sort of story that explores what relationships (including friendships and family relationships) entail and how they evolve, then definitely give this a try.

Also posted on Purple People Readers.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely. Not one I would normally pick but the cover said “read me, you might like me”

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC. enjoyed it!

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a little too raw for me....didn't finish it.

[Julie Bellis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a story about a typical break-up. Nothing remarkable.

[jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somewhere I read a good review for this book and thought I might enjoy reading. No, I need to read reviews more carefully. Not worth my time.

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Claire is only 9, her family moves in with her father's lover's family, resulting in what others call "the Naked Family": two husbands, two wives, three kids. The weird, embarrassing and frustrating experiences from this period haunt her even when she's a happily married adult. When her husband's ex-girlfriend appears in their life and he's hospitalized unexpectedly, Claire finds herself in a lot of turmoil and she slowly realizes some hard truths about her relationships.
It's difficult to review this book because there's not much of a plot, most of the characters are unlikeable, and the ending is very abrupt, without leaving you with a solution or at least an idea of what the author wants to say with all this. However, Claire's frustrations are beautifully explored, and I like stories about ordinary people that raise questions about human relationships -- even if they don't answer them.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit out of my comfort zone but I did really enjoy it. It was engaging and relatable. While Claire is not your typical protagonist, she is a raw and honest narrator. She knows herself and is able to tell her story with a kind of brutal bluntness that is almost refreshing in a way. There were moments when I found myself disliking her and not understanding her choices, but this was just one more shining example of the absolute humanness of Claire. I understood her need to hold herself together at all costs and never feeling safe to loose her grip on being "okay." I am not usually a big fan of stories with no definitive beginning, middle, and end, but Meantime was a welcome exception.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this second novel by my high school classmate! If you have lived in San Francisco in recent years you will appreciate the details of place sprinkled throughout the book. Great writers make it look effortless (even though it most assuredly isn't), and "Meantime" is an example of a writer's keen understanding of human thoughts and emotions and struggles. Every page is believable. Highly recommend!

[Cameron Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was merely readable. It wasn't moving or inspiring or thought provoking. Much of it was predictable and cliche even while the main character was recognizing her own "cliche-ness ". It was interesting enough to keep me reading. I just don't know that I would recommend it to anyone else.

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of sad. Kind of just life. Even though Claire's background was unusual, I'm not sure how much it changed what happened.

[Jennifer Burrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story with enough quirks of personalities and settings to avoid boredom.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, interesting characters.

[Tricia Cassavaugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 found Claire a hard character to like and feel sorry for

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. My deprived life in SF.

[Jordana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5…

[Amy Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sad book - don't know how I keep getting these!! About a married couple who have a happy marriage - then the husband has a medical emergency.

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book about the way some families choose to live their lives and the consequences it can have on the children, even once they've became adults. At first I thought I was going to dislike the main character, but you come to understand her. I highly recommend!

I won this book in a Goodreads.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I really liked the main characters interesting history and the stories about growing up but I feel like that she let that time of her life hold her back too much in adulthood. I want to give this a higher rating but it was just so depressing.

[Charmaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Closer to 3.5-4 stars.

[Steve Kemp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won copy from GoodReads

[Jmolentin]

OK enough. Thought the writer had experience to address the topics she chose - the effects of the medical system on individuals and those who care for them.