Shocking Heartbreaking Funny And Tender Diane Parrish's Something Better

Arroe Collins Unplugged and Totally Uncut

Shocking, heartbreaking, funny, and tender, SOMETHING BETTER (Meridian Editions; October 8, 2024), the accomplished debut by Diane Parrish, will stay with you long after you’ve read the final poignant scene.

The bubble in which Ruth and David live their tidy suburban lives is about to burst. A tragic automobile accident shatters their insular world and sends David into an emotional tailspin. An unexpected job opportunity takes Ruth to the West Coast, waylaying her desire to become a mother and making her increasingly unavailable for David’s needs.

Thrown off balance and alone, David develops a fixation on Annabeth Brady, the daughter of the friends killed in the car crash that fateful night. As he and Ruth drift further apart, each must decide if they will remain true to their vows, or what it might mean to search for something better.

Parrish pulls back the facade of the carefully cultivated suburbs with luscious prose infused with flashes of humor and insight, as she quietly questions our notions of forgiveness and faith. SOMETHING BETTER ushers a sparkling new talent onto the literary landscape.

DIANE PARRISH is originally from the Midwest and now lives with her husband and their elderly Corgi in Connecticut, where they raised their two children. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in various literary journals and magazines. Something Better is her first novel.