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The Court of Common Pleas
"Marshall has the essential novelist’s gift, the creation of vivid characters,” said the New York Times. In her new novel, she has again created a cast both real and vibrant.
At sixty-three, Judge Gregory Brennan is on the brink of retirement. With his youngest daughter headed for college, he envisions traveling abroad, basking in a repose that his demanding career has not allowed, with his wife, Audrey, at his side. But Audrey has other ambitions. At forty-nine, she sees the mythic empty nest as an opportunity to explore her own potential — as a medical student. When Audrey reveals her plans, Gregory is overwhelmed, and he emotionally retreats, causing a rift that neither one of them ever anticipated.
Marshall has been praised for her insight into the complexities of modern marriage, capturing it as “an institution about competing needs and shifting wants” (Baltimore Sun). In The Court of Common Pleas , marriage is not unlike the general trial court where Gregory presides. But the ruling in Gregory and Audrey’s own case remains to be seen. Can their disparate life plans be mediated and their differences reconciled? Marshall offers a nuanced portrait of a marriage in the throes of a midlife crisis and reveals, with an encompassing kindness, the tenderness, frustration, bewilderment, and ultimately the joy of a marriage willed to endure.
At sixty-three, Judge Gregory Brennan is on the brink of retirement. With his youngest daughter headed for college, he envisions traveling abroad, basking in a repose that his demanding career has not allowed, with his wife, Audrey, at his side. But Audrey has other ambitions. At forty-nine, she sees the mythic empty nest as an opportunity to explore her own potential — as a medical student. When Audrey reveals her plans, Gregory is overwhelmed, and he emotionally retreats, causing a rift that neither one of them ever anticipated.
Marshall has been praised for her insight into the complexities of modern marriage, capturing it as “an institution about competing needs and shifting wants” (Baltimore Sun). In The Court of Common Pleas , marriage is not unlike the general trial court where Gregory presides. But the ruling in Gregory and Audrey’s own case remains to be seen. Can their disparate life plans be mediated and their differences reconciled? Marshall offers a nuanced portrait of a marriage in the throes of a midlife crisis and reveals, with an encompassing kindness, the tenderness, frustration, bewilderment, and ultimately the joy of a marriage willed to endure.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 9, 2026
This felt like sitting in the quiet of a long marriage and really listening.
Alexandra Marshall writes with patience and emotional intelligence, allowing the characters to unfold rather than forcing drama.
Gregory and Audrey’s conflict is subtle but deeply affecting, especially as age, ambition, and grief collide.
I appreciated how the novel treats marriage as something negotiated daily, not idealized or dismissed.
The pacing is deliberate, but it suits the introspective tone.
There’s a tenderness here that feels earned.
Not flashy, but thoughtful and honest.
A satisfying read for lovers of literary fiction.
Alexandra Marshall writes with patience and emotional intelligence, allowing the characters to unfold rather than forcing drama.
Gregory and Audrey’s conflict is subtle but deeply affecting, especially as age, ambition, and grief collide.
I appreciated how the novel treats marriage as something negotiated daily, not idealized or dismissed.
The pacing is deliberate, but it suits the introspective tone.
There’s a tenderness here that feels earned.
Not flashy, but thoughtful and honest.
A satisfying read for lovers of literary fiction.
February 9, 2026
This is a mature, quietly compelling novel about reinvention and endurance.
Marshall captures the emotional distance that can grow even in loving marriages with impressive nuance.
Audrey’s late-life ambition felt brave and believable, not romanticized.
Gregory’s internal struggles around loss and retirement added real weight to the story.
The courtroom metaphor subtly mirrors the marriage without being heavy-handed.
I found myself slowing down to savor the language.
It’s reflective, sometimes heavy, but rewarding.
A book that stays with you after the last page.
Marshall captures the emotional distance that can grow even in loving marriages with impressive nuance.
Audrey’s late-life ambition felt brave and believable, not romanticized.
Gregory’s internal struggles around loss and retirement added real weight to the story.
The courtroom metaphor subtly mirrors the marriage without being heavy-handed.
I found myself slowing down to savor the language.
It’s reflective, sometimes heavy, but rewarding.
A book that stays with you after the last page.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews