When I first picked up this novel, I could not have imagined myself to be more different than the main character. Merit is a middle-aged woman in a long term (heterosexual) marriage and the mother of two kids. While none of those identities overlap with my own, I still found pieces of Merit’s journey that I resonated with. Like A House On Fire had a bit of a slow start, but once I was in - I was all in. This was an emotionally compelling story up until literally the last line.
I think, on a more personal note, that the thing I loved the most about this book is simply how well it articulated that we are forever still uncovering things about ourselves. We just have to be courageous enough to explore. To peel back the layers no matter what we find underneath. This is an exemplary look at what it means to explore your identity later in life - even when you think you have it all figured out.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.