She'll be the end of me and maybe everyone: LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE.

Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Twelve years into her marriage, Merit feels exhausted by her own life. She's been staying at home with her two young children, trying to work on her painting career, but she eventually decides to return to work as an architect. At her new job, she works for a brilliant fellow architect, Jane, whom Merit finds amazing. The two quickly become friends, sharing nearly every aspect of their lives with one another. But soon Merit realizes Jane has become almost her entire life--and she's not sure what that means.

"She wanted someone to understand that it wasn't about competence; it was about being trapped in the double bind of being a working mom."

I loved this book! I found it to be utterly mesmerizing. This novel was certainly perfect for me, as a bisexual, and I'm truly disappointed that some of the low reviews reflect homophobia. Because, at its core, it's a character-driven novel about motherhood, marriage, and finding yourself, and I'd like to think that many people could relate to those topics on many levels.

FIRE is beautifully and wonderfully written. The way it explores motherhood and marriage is so honest and true--it resonated with me on a deep and emotional level. Merit is a working mom about to turn 40, so there's no surprise there! At times, the story is brutal and harsh, but there's also beauty and hope here. Merit and Jane are great characters--different but deeply and delicately portrayed.

Overall, this book is lovely--with sweet, tough, and gorgeous characters. It weaves an emotional and honest tale. 4.5 stars.


I received a copy of this book PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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