The Sunshine When She's Gone: A Novel
For Manhattanites John and Veronica, new parenthood has reached that critical tipping point between joy and horror. Their daughter Clara’s difficult C-section birth resulted in an emergency hysterectomy, and the ensuing hormonal stew leaves Veronica depressed and depleted. John bristles at Veronica’s hypermaternal rules and regimens and is stung by her postpartum sexual ennui. Wanting to give Veronica a break from vigilant motherhood and spend time alone with his daughter, John gallantly decides to take Clara out for breakfast one Saturday morning. Except that they never make it to the diner. Fortuitously armed with their newly issued passports, John snaps and instructs the cabbie to drive to JFK, where he and Clara board a plane for Barbados, carrying only the meager contents of a hastily packed diaper bag. Though perplexed by their increasing absence and lack of communication, Veronica embarks on an indulgent single-girl city weekend, complete with an ill-advised rendezvous with an old lover. Sharp, intuitive, and empathetic, Goodman offers a wickedly incisive take on the pressures of parenthood and the resiliency of marital trust. --Carol Haggas