In We Have Everything Before Us (Gibson House Press, April 2020) by Esther Yin-ling Spodek, a summer party and a thunderstorm bring relationships into focus, as three women must decide how to move forward in this humorous and dramatic tale of intersecting lives.
Eleanor is bored with her two sons and a husband who ignores her when she reconnects with Phil, a man she knew in high school. Phil’s wife is leaving him because of his philandering, most recently with the younger Sarayu. Eleanor’s friend Kaye doesn’t approve of Phil, but she has her own problems: too much drinking and a fraught relationship with her husband and daughter, who are building a boat together.
In a recent interview, Spodek said of her novel, “Like many writers, I am inspired by my life and the people and places around me. I have always written emails about raising my kids to people who thought they were funny. The lives of the educated mothers of my sons’ schools were also an inspiration, who took time off from their careers to raise their children and turned PTA into something formidable. There was a lot for me to observe.”
“We Have Everything Before Us is funny and sad and full of insight about love, loneliness and infidelity. After this impressive debut novel, I can’t wait to see what Spodek writes next,” said Christopher John Farley, author of Around Harvard Square
Esther Yin-ling Spodek received her MFA in Creative Writing from Indiana University. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines. She lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband and border collie.
A traditional press based in the Chicago area, Gibson House Press publishes literary fiction in original trade paperback and ebook editions, with a penchant for working with writers who are also musicians. With national distribution by IPG, Gibson House titles are available wherever books are sold.
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Publicity Contact: Mary Bisbee-Beek [email protected]