Having It and Eating It

Book excerpt: The debut novel from the author of Under Your Skin, Remember Me This Way, and A Life With Me, a page-turning and comedic story about a woman on the brink. Maggie Owen has given up her day job and resigned herself to a life of playground moms and soiled clothing—until the day she runs into Claire Masterson. Claire was the girl at school Maggie always wanted to be, and (surprise, surprise) it's as if nothing has changed. Claire still has everything—and Maggie's life, as the mother of two young boys, is utter chaos. But when it seems that Claire knows a little too much about Maggie's boyfriend, Jake, Maggie starts thinking the unthinkable, and the lengths to which she goes to uncover the truth and regain her confidence throw her life—and her relationship with Jake—for a loop. Funny, smart and self-deprecating, this propulsive novel questions what our choices mean and whether we ever actually grow up.