We All Want Impossible Things, by Catherine Newman

Taking a detour from my holiday book tour and picked up We All Want Impossible Things, by Catherine Newman. Oh, I’m SO glad I did…even though I still have tears in my eyes.

Ash and Edi are best friends and have been almost all of their lives. Edi is a married mom of 7-year-old Dash living in New York. When she’s diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, Edi decides to move to a hospice in Massachusetts (close to Ash) to shield her son from the harsh realities of her disease. Ash becomes Edi’s primary caretaker and spends her days taking care of her friend and reminiscing on life. One is trying to hold on while the other is learning how to let go.

This book snatched my heart right up, broke it into pieces, and gently put the pieces back together again. What an incredibly moving story. At it’s core, a story about friendship and the ties that bind us together.

I loved both Ash and Edi and their 42 year friendship. As beautifully complicated as their separate lives are, their friendship is simply precious. I thought their characters & backstories were both fleshed out so well.

A really quick read with some heavy content. I personally didn’t find it depressing even though the subject matter is anything but pleasant, however I did my tissues an arm’s length away. Although this is a story that’s clouded by grief, the dark humor and witty dialogue adds the perfect amount of levity to balance it all out. Such a beautifully written prose.

4.2 out of 5 stars

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