Everything is falling apart in psychologist Tig Monahan’s life. Her mother’s dementia is wearing her out; her boyfriend takes off for Hawaii without her; and her sister inexplicably disappears, leaving her newborn behind. When a therapy session goes horribly wrong, Tig finds herself unemployed and part of the sandwich generation trying to take care of everyone and failing miserably. Just when … Just when she thinks she can redefine herself on the radio as an arbiter of fairness, she discovers a family secret that nobody saw coming.
It will take everything plus a sense of humor to see her way clear to a better life, but none of that will happen if she can’t let go of her past.
USA Today bestseller
“I was intrigued by the strength of the main character, Tig Monahan, whose life begins to unravel as she comes to terms with her mother’s advancing Alzheimer’s. Though Tig makes mistake after mistake, she never gives up. As the chapters flew by, I laughed, I cried, I smiled. And when I turned the last page. I found myself feeling proud of Tig and looking up to her unwavering hope and strength of spirit.” —First for Women
“It’s not enough that Ann Garvin is hilarious. Then she has to go ahead and be compassionate and wise about the hopeful car-wreck that is most of humanity…” –Michelle Wildgen, author of You’re Not You and Bread and Butter
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Even though this is a work of fiction, I want to shout a great big YAY! for the solid advice offered—and received—by Dr. Monahan, the heroine in this story regarding relationship dynamics: parent/child, sibling/sibling, and romantic partners. A great read for people who enjoy healthy connections.
I’ll read anything Ann writes. This is my favorite so far!
Like many of us, the main character, Tig Monahan, wears too many hats: therapist, girlfriend, sister, daughter, and caregiver to a mother with advancing Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few. On top of those stressors, nothing seems to be going the way Tig expected. Her boyfriend wants her to move from Wisconsin to Hawaii (but isn’t that ‘excited’ about her anymore); her mother no longer remembers who she is; a disgruntled patient threatens a lawsuit; and her self-absorbed sister shows up pregnant. Tig’s experiences with life’s twists and turns remind the reader that every day is full of challenging moments, and our reactions make all the difference. If you like humorous, heartfelt fiction about complex relationships, Garvin’s book is for you.
A fun, easy read that will be SO easy to identify with. A great tale of what happens when the people we think simply can’t live without all the care, attention and time we give them suddenly become wiser than us—because we step back and let them. A great twist when the doctor learns from her patients and family members about what’s really important, what expectations make sense and, above all, that all those plates we keep twirling in the air are really in own heads.
A light, witty lesson for life. Enjoy.
It’s not often that a book set (in large part) in a nursing home can be both poignant and lighthearted, but Garvin struck exactly the right not. With themes of family, sisters, love, and careers, this was an entertaining story that makes me want to read more from this author.
A classic Ann Garvin novel that uses wit and wisdom to weave a story of family relationships.
Reading a book by Ann Garvin is like having a long, long lunch with a funny, big-hearted friend who knows a lot of amusing, crippled people. It’s time well-spent, and life feels warmer and larger and more worthwhile when you finally get up from the table. In I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around, the heroine, Tig, repeatedly trips over her own misguided good intentions, face-palming at regular intervals as she struggles through the mess of her life: her equivocal boyfriend, her self-absorbed sister, her Alzheimer’s afflicted mother, and her career as the counselor who supposedly knows how life works. Garvin skips along the knife edge of tragicomedy like nobody’s business; it’s not an easy feat. Her affection for her all-too-real characters is unbounded, and contagious. This story made me laugh out aloud, but what I will remember most is how it made me care.
Really enjoyed this. It’s a bit of a mystery, but more of a drama. Interesting characters and character development. Some twists!!
Very enjoyable read.
Ann Garvin has a way with words. And people. And emotions. And she had her way with me as a reader when I entered this story. Bravo for taking me on a journey and bringing me through it with a reshaped heart.
Amazing real portrayal of life’s twists and turns and what it’s like when a family member has Alzheimer’s disease. Absolutely a book to read again and again!
I love the way all the varied stories come together. Some of the characters seem in-likeable until you read more and see more about how they became who they are.
Beautiful story!
I really enjoyed this book. Very entertaining to say the least. I had a hard time putting it down. Recommend very highly. Very witty.
I was almost late for work, I couldn’t put my nook down.