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Small World
“[A] brave and heartfelt book of truths.”—New York Times Book Review (A Group Text Pick and Editors' Choice)
From bestselling author Laura Zigman comes a heartfelt novel about two offbeat and newly divorced sisters who move in together as adults—and finally reckon with their childhood
A year after her divorce, Joyce is settling into being single again. She likes her job archiving family photos and videos, and she’s developed a secret comforting hobby: trolling the neighborhood social networking site, Small World, for posts that help solve life’s easiest problems. When her older sister, Lydia, also divorced, calls to tell her she’s moving back east from Los Angeles after almost thirty years away, Joyce invites Lydia to move into her Cambridge apartment. Temporarily. Just until she finds a place of her own.
But their unlikely cohabitation—not helped by annoying new neighbors upstairs—turns out to be the post-divorce rebound relationship Joyce hadn’t planned on. Instead of forging the bond she always dreamed of having with Lydia, their relationship frays. And they rarely discuss the loss of their sister, Eleanor, who was significantly disabled and died when she was only ten years old. When new revelations from their family’s history come to light, will those secrets further split them apart, or course correct their connection for the future?
Written with wry humor and keen sensitivity, Small World is a powerful novel of sisterhood and hope—a reminder that sometimes you have to look back in order to move ahead.
From bestselling author Laura Zigman comes a heartfelt novel about two offbeat and newly divorced sisters who move in together as adults—and finally reckon with their childhood
A year after her divorce, Joyce is settling into being single again. She likes her job archiving family photos and videos, and she’s developed a secret comforting hobby: trolling the neighborhood social networking site, Small World, for posts that help solve life’s easiest problems. When her older sister, Lydia, also divorced, calls to tell her she’s moving back east from Los Angeles after almost thirty years away, Joyce invites Lydia to move into her Cambridge apartment. Temporarily. Just until she finds a place of her own.
But their unlikely cohabitation—not helped by annoying new neighbors upstairs—turns out to be the post-divorce rebound relationship Joyce hadn’t planned on. Instead of forging the bond she always dreamed of having with Lydia, their relationship frays. And they rarely discuss the loss of their sister, Eleanor, who was significantly disabled and died when she was only ten years old. When new revelations from their family’s history come to light, will those secrets further split them apart, or course correct their connection for the future?
Written with wry humor and keen sensitivity, Small World is a powerful novel of sisterhood and hope—a reminder that sometimes you have to look back in order to move ahead.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
About the author
Laura Zigman
11 books398 followersLaura Zigman is the author of five novels, including Separation Anxiety (which was optioned by Julianne Nicholson and the production company Wiip (Mare of Easttown) for a limited television series); Animal Husbandry (which was made into the movie Someone Like You, starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd), Dating Big Bird, Her, and Piece of Work. She has ghostwritten/collaborated on several works of non-fiction, including Eddie Izzard's New York Times bestseller, Believe Me; been a contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Huffington Post; produced a popular online series of animated videos called Annoying Conversations; and was the recipient of a Yaddo residency. Her sixth novel, Small World, will be published in January 2023. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 614 reviews
January 9, 2023
This was my first read from Laura Zigman and I really enjoyed it.
A story about two divorced sisters who come to live together in their mid forties. They get to know each other again while also dealing with the things that happened in their family when they were young.
"Small World" was a funny, emotional, and unique story with very unique and quirky characters.
A thought-provoking family drama about sisters, secrets, grief, hope, and forgiveness.
March 17, 2022
Small World is a treasure: a family story that is wistful one moment, witty and wry the next. Few novelists write as beautifully about the damaged heart and the wounded soul as Laura Zigman, or understand the emotional bonds of siblings and sisters. I loved this novel.
December 18, 2022
4.5 actually.
I enjoy the way Laura Zigman writes; a slow, sweet build up then, poof fireworks!
I usually don’t like a ‘slow burn,’ but this author doesn’t torture you with waiting. She knows you want to get to the ‘entrée so she skips ahead delightfully.
Please read the summary before you read my next line. Thanks, now we all know what this book is about. Two sisters, born four years apart, reunite after 20 years apart. Although different in personality, they both felt ignored during their childhood, because their mother had to care for their seriously disabled sister. They were too young to understand why their parents must take care of that sister 24/7.
When the sisters unite, they share an apartment the hometown sister rented. During the almost year they’re together they go through the normal, get to know you again, vibes. Then a couple moves into the apartment above them to start a yoga studio, of all things, and things change.
Naturally, the sisters disagree about that couple, but they both hate the noise it brings.
A deep and fun book I really enjoyed. It pubs on 1/10/23.
Thank you Netgalley and Ecco Press.
I enjoy the way Laura Zigman writes; a slow, sweet build up then, poof fireworks!
I usually don’t like a ‘slow burn,’ but this author doesn’t torture you with waiting. She knows you want to get to the ‘entrée so she skips ahead delightfully.
Please read the summary before you read my next line. Thanks, now we all know what this book is about. Two sisters, born four years apart, reunite after 20 years apart. Although different in personality, they both felt ignored during their childhood, because their mother had to care for their seriously disabled sister. They were too young to understand why their parents must take care of that sister 24/7.
When the sisters unite, they share an apartment the hometown sister rented. During the almost year they’re together they go through the normal, get to know you again, vibes. Then a couple moves into the apartment above them to start a yoga studio, of all things, and things change.
Naturally, the sisters disagree about that couple, but they both hate the noise it brings.
A deep and fun book I really enjoyed. It pubs on 1/10/23.
Thank you Netgalley and Ecco Press.
January 19, 2023
DNF at 16%. I think I gave this a fair shot: I listened to over an hour and a quarter of an 8-hour book. It’s the story of two American 50-ish sisters, both childless and divorced, who are reconnecting—living together—after 30 years of living on opposite coasts. The story is told from the point of view of the younger sister, and I just couldn’t take any more of the non-stop whining and self-pity. I think it’s meant to be wryly humorous, but it came across as unrelenting narcissistic bitterness. Blecccchhhh.
June 3, 2024
Sometimes, this novel is brilliant. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could
(Goodreads, maybe you could be more flexible?)
Most important is the way the book bravely digs into the unique and fraught love-hate relationship between sisters.
Of course, the sisters in this case--Joyce Mellishman and her older sister, Lydia--had a particularly unique and fraught upbringing. Their family life revolved around their severely disabled middle sister, Eleanor. After Eleanor died at age 10, the family fell apart--the parents divorced, the father went bankrupt and died, the mother devoted her life to advocacy work for the disabled.
Still, the complicated sibling ties that this book explores are more universal. For instance, Joyce candidly brags about how she "scores points" by not reacting to something hurtful that Lydia did. They sometimes would like more warmth, but they don't know how to break out of their decades-old patterns.
As well, the story is compelling. Author Laura Zigman sets up plot points where the reader expects the next step--then delivers something else.
But...
Too often, the motivations and actions of Joyce and Lydia just don't make sense -- even in light of the complexities of the sibling relationship, even after some Big Secrets are revealed.
To give one example: After decades of almost zero communication, Lydia suddenly decides to move from California to Boston; Joyce spontaneously invites Lydia to move in with her, until Lydia can find an apartment of her own; then they proceed to avoid talking again about almost anything. Yes, people sometimes act in unexpected ways. Yes, Joyce and Lydia's relationship has been slim for years. But not talking at all? Not even to ask Lydia whether she's found a place to live yet? Joyce never seems to explore her own passivity.
Even when her friend Erin spoon-feeds her some crucial information, Joyce doesn't follow up.
I'm not seeking perfection in this (or any) book, nor do I want all loose ends tied up. (God forbid!) But I'd like to close the book without feeling dissatisfied and annoyed.
(Goodreads, maybe you could be more flexible?)
Most important is the way the book bravely digs into the unique and fraught love-hate relationship between sisters.
Of course, the sisters in this case--Joyce Mellishman and her older sister, Lydia--had a particularly unique and fraught upbringing. Their family life revolved around their severely disabled middle sister, Eleanor. After Eleanor died at age 10, the family fell apart--the parents divorced, the father went bankrupt and died, the mother devoted her life to advocacy work for the disabled.
Still, the complicated sibling ties that this book explores are more universal. For instance, Joyce candidly brags about how she "scores points" by not reacting to something hurtful that Lydia did. They sometimes would like more warmth, but they don't know how to break out of their decades-old patterns.
As well, the story is compelling. Author Laura Zigman sets up plot points where the reader expects the next step--then delivers something else.
But...
Too often, the motivations and actions of Joyce and Lydia just don't make sense -- even in light of the complexities of the sibling relationship, even after some Big Secrets are revealed.
To give one example: After decades of almost zero communication, Lydia suddenly decides to move from California to Boston; Joyce spontaneously invites Lydia to move in with her, until Lydia can find an apartment of her own; then they proceed to avoid talking again about almost anything. Yes, people sometimes act in unexpected ways. Yes, Joyce and Lydia's relationship has been slim for years. But not talking at all? Not even to ask Lydia whether she's found a place to live yet? Joyce never seems to explore her own passivity.
Even when her friend Erin spoon-feeds her some crucial information, Joyce doesn't follow up.
I'm not seeking perfection in this (or any) book, nor do I want all loose ends tied up. (God forbid!) But I'd like to close the book without feeling dissatisfied and annoyed.
January 6, 2023
I really like the idea of this book – however it kept switching between poems, and prose and it was easy to be confused. I really struggled through the first 30% of this book before deciding that there were no redeeming qualities, the book was confusing and rambling, and nothing made me want to stick it out, so I did ultimately DNF this one.
I do think that this is a very unique book and will appeal to some people. It is entirely character based so I believe that is why the author attempted to add the poems and second person POV to liven the story up. For me that just fell flat.
As this book did not work well for me in any way, I will not be publishing a review to my social media sites beyond Goodreads as I typically do.
I do think that this is a very unique book and will appeal to some people. It is entirely character based so I believe that is why the author attempted to add the poems and second person POV to liven the story up. For me that just fell flat.
As this book did not work well for me in any way, I will not be publishing a review to my social media sites beyond Goodreads as I typically do.
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 10, 2023A not right now kinda read.
July 28, 2022
Laura Zigman is a master of drawing unique, quirky characters, and I am always excited to learn she has a new novel out. This story unfolds around the life of two adult sisters who they find themselves living together after each is divorced. This provides them with the unexpected opportunity to observe and reflect upon the ways in which their parents left them to fend for themselves growing up, because then parents -particularly their mother -were preoccupied with caring for another child, their sister, who had cerebral palsy. I won’t spoil the details, but suffice to say each of these characters is memorable in ways I’ve never seen drawn before, and while this is not exactly a happy story, it is a satisfying and good one.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.
February 26, 2023
SMALL WORLD
Laura Zigman
This week was about small places and tiny mansions, so this fit right in.
Sisters who have not been close gravitated back together as middle age sneak upon them. They have not been together in 30 years and I wondered why they bothered to try at this late date. The younger sister is very whiny and serves up self-pity as a full meal deal. Some of it was humorous but not all. The older sister was dry and blank much of the time, but had better explanations for her behavior.
To me it was meh. Not bad, but not great.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
Laura Zigman
This week was about small places and tiny mansions, so this fit right in.
Sisters who have not been close gravitated back together as middle age sneak upon them. They have not been together in 30 years and I wondered why they bothered to try at this late date. The younger sister is very whiny and serves up self-pity as a full meal deal. Some of it was humorous but not all. The older sister was dry and blank much of the time, but had better explanations for her behavior.
To me it was meh. Not bad, but not great.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
December 28, 2022
Wow did I not like this book. I know this is a character study on divorced sisters but I was so bored. None of the characters had any drive to change or even just be nice? And the jumps from poems to second person were very jarring. It just felt like a lot of talking in circles.
February 1, 2023
The little poems were 100% more intriguing than the story.
December 10, 2022
Small World by Laura Zigman. Thanks to @eccopressbooks and @netgalley for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two sisters, Joyce and Lydia move in together after their divorces and get to know each other and their eccentricities as adults.
This was a realistic literary fiction where you get a close examination into two sisters and their unique upbringing. Learning about the sisters as adults shows us how their childhood affected them. I loved the flashbacks and how it would switch to second person. It made it feel very close and intimate.
“As long as we’re both breathing, we’ll probably forever misread each other’s faces; second-guessing and misinterpret each other’s thoughts, feelings, and motives in the worst possible way.”
Small World comes out 1/10.
Two sisters, Joyce and Lydia move in together after their divorces and get to know each other and their eccentricities as adults.
This was a realistic literary fiction where you get a close examination into two sisters and their unique upbringing. Learning about the sisters as adults shows us how their childhood affected them. I loved the flashbacks and how it would switch to second person. It made it feel very close and intimate.
“As long as we’re both breathing, we’ll probably forever misread each other’s faces; second-guessing and misinterpret each other’s thoughts, feelings, and motives in the worst possible way.”
Small World comes out 1/10.
February 24, 2023
somewhat irritating book about two sisters trying to make sense of their childhood.
April 16, 2023
A very touching, at times heartbreaking, novel about the effects on a family and the siblings when one of the children is disabled. Digging into sisterly relationships, hidden secrets, trauma and more, this book started slowly for me but opened up into a special book that is not without humor.
December 31, 2022
Laura Zigman’s story about two middle-aged, divorced sisters who move back together is an intense, claustrophobic family drama. The sisters are not good at social interactions, with the elder Lydia particularly poor at making friends. The younger Joyce is happy by herself, working at her online archival restoration job, and lurking on a neighbourhood social network.
The two get on each other’s nerves repeatedly, while ever so slowly beginning to confront their childhood, when their severely disabled middle sister Eleanor, died when she was only ten years old.
The sisters’ mother Louise turned her whole life into caring for Eleanor, and into advocating for disabled rights. She was so wrapped up in these that she neglected Lydia and Joyce. When Eleanor died, the family came apart, with the girls' parents divorcing, and Louise barely aware of her remaining daughters.
Naturally, this left scars on Lydia and Joyce, and their inability to process these emotions and be in relationships all comes to a head once they move back in together.
Zigman sensitively portrays the sisters' emotions and the damage, and easy as it could have been to dislike Louise for forgetting her other two daughters, I felt sympathy for her constant efforts to make Eleanor's life better. In addition to all this, there are some family secrets revealed that shake Joyce up and call into question many of her memories of her mother and young Lydia. It's an interesting tightrope to walk, making all three difficult women sympathetic, and Zigman manages it skilfully.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Ecco for this ARC in exchange for my review.
The two get on each other’s nerves repeatedly, while ever so slowly beginning to confront their childhood, when their severely disabled middle sister Eleanor, died when she was only ten years old.
The sisters’ mother Louise turned her whole life into caring for Eleanor, and into advocating for disabled rights. She was so wrapped up in these that she neglected Lydia and Joyce. When Eleanor died, the family came apart, with the girls' parents divorcing, and Louise barely aware of her remaining daughters.
Naturally, this left scars on Lydia and Joyce, and their inability to process these emotions and be in relationships all comes to a head once they move back in together.
Zigman sensitively portrays the sisters' emotions and the damage, and easy as it could have been to dislike Louise for forgetting her other two daughters, I felt sympathy for her constant efforts to make Eleanor's life better. In addition to all this, there are some family secrets revealed that shake Joyce up and call into question many of her memories of her mother and young Lydia. It's an interesting tightrope to walk, making all three difficult women sympathetic, and Zigman manages it skilfully.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Ecco for this ARC in exchange for my review.
July 21, 2022
This novel explores the lives of 4 women, 2 survivors and 2 who have passed away. The catalyst of the story is Eleanor, born with Cerebral Palsy, leaving her in an extremely disabled state. She is cared for with slavish devotion by her mother, Louise, until her early death in the Frenauld Home for the severely disabled. The survivors are Joyce and Lydia, who grew up in the wreckage generated by sister Eleanor’s disability and early death.
When both sisters, now middle aged women, go through divorces, they come together to reclaim their lives and their memories. Of course, there are twists and turns in the novel, as secrets are revealed and relationships rebuilt.
I enjoyed this sensitive portrayal of a family, essentially handicapped by the chronic, serious illness of a sibling. This book presents infinite opportunities for book clubs to explore. I recommend it to groups interested in discussing topics such as sibling relationships and the impact of serious illness on the life of a family.
Thank you Netgalley for this interesting, thought provoking ARC.
When both sisters, now middle aged women, go through divorces, they come together to reclaim their lives and their memories. Of course, there are twists and turns in the novel, as secrets are revealed and relationships rebuilt.
I enjoyed this sensitive portrayal of a family, essentially handicapped by the chronic, serious illness of a sibling. This book presents infinite opportunities for book clubs to explore. I recommend it to groups interested in discussing topics such as sibling relationships and the impact of serious illness on the life of a family.
Thank you Netgalley for this interesting, thought provoking ARC.
January 31, 2023
I was really hoping to love this one more but it might have just not been great for audio. Ostensibly a domestic fiction story about two grown sisters, both divorced who end up as roommates. We get to know what their life was like growing up with a younger sister with mental disabilities. The story alternates timelines and has good disability rep (both in the past and present - one sister has MS). It just didn't flow great for me and I had a hard time really getting invested in this one. An okay, not great read for me - not one that will be super memorable. Recommended for fans of books like Laurie Frankel's One two three.
October 22, 2022
I have loved all of Laura's novels, ever since Animal Husbandry, but this might be my favorite!
July 17, 2024
SMALL WORLD by Laura Zigman is a heart-wrenching and touching story of family, grief and hope that will stay on my mind for a long time to come. A year after getting divorced, Joyce is settled in her new life. She has a cozy apartment in Cambridge and a job she enjoys. Joyce’s sister, Lydia, has just returned to Boston from Los Angeles where she has lived for the past thirty years. Now also divorced, Lydia accepts Joyce’s offer to move in with her until she finds somewhere to live. As they spend time together for the first time, they carefully avoid discussing their upbringing and what drove Lydia to California in the first place. Growing up, they were essentially left on their own by parents, Louise and Lenny, who were preoccupied with the care of their sister, Eleanor, who was severely disabled with cerebral palsy. Even after Eleanor dies at an early age, their parents remain obsessed with crusading for disability rights, that is until Lenny abandons their family. Their poignant exploration of the past is at times sad, at times humorous. I loved the poems that Joyce creates from the posts on the neighborhood chat site. The quirky upstairs neighbors add another fun dimension to the story. I enjoyed this thought-provoking and moving story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher, Library Love Fest team and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.
November 29, 2022
My first book review for an upcoming 2023 release! Woo hoo! Where’s the champagne? This January release is one that you need to take note of, and add to your TBR immediately. Small World by Laura Zigman truly warmed my heart. The premise of this story grabbed my attention immediately. Two middle-aged and newly divorced sisters move in together after many years of being somewhat estranged. Lydia and Joyce take this time to get to know each other again, and really rehash their childhood and upbringing. After years of not discussing the past, a lot of memories regarding their disabled sister and distant mother are brought to the surface. Emotions run high with a lot of reflection and grieving going on. I sure hope that this book gets the buzz, love, and attention that it deserves in the new year. It has so much going for it. The plot and characters are fantastically quirky, off-beat, and totally unique. I found myself smiling a lot, and looking forward to picking my kindle back up every evening. Oh, and the drama with their neighbors upstairs had me hooting and hollering! That’s a whole other side story that brought SO much laughter and entertainment to the story. I’m still snickering. If you enjoy novels about sisterhood, friendship, family drama, unpacking the past, and moving forward, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Small World releases on January 10th, and it gets 4.5/5 stars from me! Highly recommend!
January 13, 2023
The book is about two adult sisters, Lydia and Joyce, who move in together after their divorces. In the novel, the sisters are thrown together and forced to deal with their past. In their childhood, they had a middle sister, Eleanor, who was disabled physically and mentally with cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. Until her death at age 10, everything revolved around their sister, which impacted the whole family dynamic. The story is told concurrently in the past and present, giving us great insight into how things happened and how those things affect the sisters' current lives today.
I love to read about the comedy and tragedy that happens between siblings. One detail I loved was one of the heartbreaking scenes when the two girls would come back home, and the beds were never made. This showed how much the mom was focused on Elenor. I loved how the author focused on how we see life as a child vs. an adult, which is usually very different. Sometimes we must look back, understand wounds, and heal before moving forward.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
I love to read about the comedy and tragedy that happens between siblings. One detail I loved was one of the heartbreaking scenes when the two girls would come back home, and the beds were never made. This showed how much the mom was focused on Elenor. I loved how the author focused on how we see life as a child vs. an adult, which is usually very different. Sometimes we must look back, understand wounds, and heal before moving forward.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
April 6, 2023
What in the name of inspiration porn did I just spend an hour of my life reading?
A character with a disability is institutionalized then freed, then dies, tragically young all for the sake of furthering an ableist plot wrapped in poorly written prose.
Nope.
A character with a disability is institutionalized then freed, then dies, tragically young all for the sake of furthering an ableist plot wrapped in poorly written prose.
Nope.
November 21, 2022
Two cranky divorced sisters living together again sharing life's woes because their mother focused, cared for and devoted all her time on their disabled sister during their childhood.
April 4, 2023
At its heart, this is a story about family, feeling unseen and unheard, secrecy, and life in the aftermath of trauma. It’s all so rich and meaningful. But the surface plot about noise pollution resonated most significantly with me.
I once lived in a townhome attached to another townhome owned by someone I felt was ruining my life. I moved with my husband and new baby from downtown LA to suburban Pasadena, hoping for a quieter life. I had no idea that the new owners of the place attached to ours would be gutting and renovating their residence for months on end, all day every day. The noise this created was punishing, squandering all of my energy and happiness. This was pre-pandemic and during a bad season of El Niño. The noise next door was constant. Inescapable, life ruining, absolutely disruptive to my son’s ability to sleep and grow, and my ability to enjoy my home. Our walls rattled, mounted photo frames fell off their hooks, we couldn’t even watch TV or listen to music or do anything comfortably. Once you detect a noise that bothers you, it is impossible to ignore no matter how many sound machines you buy, or the quality of your noise canceling headphones. I felt like no one cared about me or the stress it caused. It made me feel alone and crazy. Noise pollution has been proven to bring about severe psychological damage. People with no previous criminal record have killed others over noise disturbances. I believe there is almost nothing worse than noise pollution. What I experienced was terrible in so many ways, but also because I felt isolated and alone in my new home that I’d looked forward to living in. The new life I had in mind looked nothing like I’d imagined because of my neighbors. My husband and others worked all day so the noise didn’t impact them. It felt like I was the only one suffering from the constant drilling right into our walls. I became obsessive. All I could think and talk about was the noise. I was rabid. I even started pounding on and kicking the walls, blasting loud annoying music to spite them. I had visions of pelting them with my son’s diapers. I went insane. I was not my best self. But there was nothing anyone could do about it.
This is a long winded way of saying that Laura Zigman’s book spoke directly to me. It is my favorite novel of 2023 so far. It speaks to the subtle but damaging tension between neighbors, the ways others manipulate those with legitimate complaints into thinking they’re the problem, and what it means to be a good neighbor. Joyce has moved into a small apartment following her divorce and just wants to process it all in peace. Her newly divorced sister moves in with her, and all is well until a new set of neighbors moves upstairs and makes Joyce’s life a living hell with constant noise from her wellness studio, the irony being that it helps everyone but Joyce, whose wellbeing suffers dramatically. The studio owner, Sonia, is an exploitative cultlike figure who draws everyone else in but pokes at Joyce’s insecurities to gaslight Joyce into feeling like she’s the one with the problem. No one else shares Joyce’s rage. I felt that so much. She does obsess, just as I did, but it’s very challenging to feel like your home does not belong to you because of a neighbor’s choices. The awkwardness in this story perfectly illustrates difficult conversations many of us find ourselves needing to have with our community. The tension, the feelings of being put out and misunderstood, I have never felt so seen. Thank you Laura Zigman.
I once lived in a townhome attached to another townhome owned by someone I felt was ruining my life. I moved with my husband and new baby from downtown LA to suburban Pasadena, hoping for a quieter life. I had no idea that the new owners of the place attached to ours would be gutting and renovating their residence for months on end, all day every day. The noise this created was punishing, squandering all of my energy and happiness. This was pre-pandemic and during a bad season of El Niño. The noise next door was constant. Inescapable, life ruining, absolutely disruptive to my son’s ability to sleep and grow, and my ability to enjoy my home. Our walls rattled, mounted photo frames fell off their hooks, we couldn’t even watch TV or listen to music or do anything comfortably. Once you detect a noise that bothers you, it is impossible to ignore no matter how many sound machines you buy, or the quality of your noise canceling headphones. I felt like no one cared about me or the stress it caused. It made me feel alone and crazy. Noise pollution has been proven to bring about severe psychological damage. People with no previous criminal record have killed others over noise disturbances. I believe there is almost nothing worse than noise pollution. What I experienced was terrible in so many ways, but also because I felt isolated and alone in my new home that I’d looked forward to living in. The new life I had in mind looked nothing like I’d imagined because of my neighbors. My husband and others worked all day so the noise didn’t impact them. It felt like I was the only one suffering from the constant drilling right into our walls. I became obsessive. All I could think and talk about was the noise. I was rabid. I even started pounding on and kicking the walls, blasting loud annoying music to spite them. I had visions of pelting them with my son’s diapers. I went insane. I was not my best self. But there was nothing anyone could do about it.
This is a long winded way of saying that Laura Zigman’s book spoke directly to me. It is my favorite novel of 2023 so far. It speaks to the subtle but damaging tension between neighbors, the ways others manipulate those with legitimate complaints into thinking they’re the problem, and what it means to be a good neighbor. Joyce has moved into a small apartment following her divorce and just wants to process it all in peace. Her newly divorced sister moves in with her, and all is well until a new set of neighbors moves upstairs and makes Joyce’s life a living hell with constant noise from her wellness studio, the irony being that it helps everyone but Joyce, whose wellbeing suffers dramatically. The studio owner, Sonia, is an exploitative cultlike figure who draws everyone else in but pokes at Joyce’s insecurities to gaslight Joyce into feeling like she’s the one with the problem. No one else shares Joyce’s rage. I felt that so much. She does obsess, just as I did, but it’s very challenging to feel like your home does not belong to you because of a neighbor’s choices. The awkwardness in this story perfectly illustrates difficult conversations many of us find ourselves needing to have with our community. The tension, the feelings of being put out and misunderstood, I have never felt so seen. Thank you Laura Zigman.
January 31, 2023
Совершенно не помню, почему решила почитать эту книгу - может, Скрибд предложил? - но она оказалась совсем неплохая. Две разведенные сестры за 50 впервые после детства съезжаются жить вместе и распутывают колтуны своих отношений друг с другом и окружающим миром. У них была сестра с ДЦП, которая умерла в детстве и вокруг которой вращалась вся жизнь семьи и до, и после ее смерти, но к концу романа окажется, что все было не совсем так просто.
January 30, 2023
This book took forever to get through, but it was worth it in the end. I laughed A LOT. I cried a little. Lydia and Joyce were so messed up from their childhood that I kept forgetting they weren’t teens/early twenties. They behaved like children and were so immature. Both of them honestly annoyed me, but once the backstory started flowing, I felt so bad for them.
I loved Alan. He played such a small role in the story but seemed to be a major influence Lydia and Joyce’s lives, even though they only knew him for a week.
I wanted more things tied up in the end, and I was left with more questions than answers, but overall it was a really good book.
I loved Alan. He played such a small role in the story but seemed to be a major influence Lydia and Joyce’s lives, even though they only knew him for a week.
I wanted more things tied up in the end, and I was left with more questions than answers, but overall it was a really good book.
February 6, 2023
4.5. The reviews for this one on Goodreads are not stellar, so when I checked it out from the library, I thought I might sample it and return it unread. But it completely pulled me in! Two estranged sisters move in together, forcing them to confront the strained family dynamics in their childhood. There is sadness & grief, but also humor. I just loved the main character, Joyce, and her interactions with those around her. I recommend this if you like dysfunctional family stories, found family / community, and socially awkward, mildly quirky characters.
March 5, 2023
I am an outlier here, it seems. But I found the sentence structure to be maddening (TMI. Was a sentence at one point)….I have three sisters and I could not relate to this one bit. So, that felt weird.
January 16, 2023
Joyce and Lydia are middle aged sisters who are both now divorced and living together. They had a middle sister named Eleanor who was disabled and died when she was 10. They both have unresolved issues from childhood. All children need attention and the guilt the healthier children felt is heartbreaking. As adults supposedly temporarily living together, their new neighbors upstairs are flouting the rental rules by running a wellness center/yoga studio right above their apartment. Joyce wants to rat on them while Lydia is excited to join a class. Things in their relationship are unraveling and this argument seems to be a breaking point that’s really more about past hurts than what the actual argument is.
This is a story about family, secrets, grief, forgiveness and hope. It’s written with warmth and humor. It takes a unique look at the siblings of a disabled child and the challenges and life long feelings that remain. As with most families, the misunderstandings often come from not having all the information necessary to make true sense of situations. I loved the neighborhood social media “Small World” with all of the predictable and funny posts it would naturally attract. The Halloween fiasco was my favorite. And thank you @laurazigman for putting a name to what I do when the person I’m with is talking crazy: “hostage eyes.” I’ll be using that term forevermore. This book has absolutely everything I love in it. Highly recommend.
January 29, 2023
SMALL WORLD is my first Laura Zigman book but it definitely will not be my last!! Her writing style pulled me into this book quickly and it was a very enjoyable read!!
Two sisters both get divorced in their 40s and come to live with each other. There is a lot of tension between them and it worsens after almost a year together in the same apartment. Will they be able to resolve issues from the past and present and help each other??
This is a story of sisters, family, friends, grief and so much more. I listened to the audio and highly recommend.
Two sisters both get divorced in their 40s and come to live with each other. There is a lot of tension between them and it worsens after almost a year together in the same apartment. Will they be able to resolve issues from the past and present and help each other??
This is a story of sisters, family, friends, grief and so much more. I listened to the audio and highly recommend.
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