Clementine Crane Prefers Not to - by Kristin Bair

Book Synopsis

For fans of Maria Semple, Clementine Crane is a one-woman whirlwind, managing every aspect of her family's life--until she hits her breaking point. In this quirky and heartfelt novel, author Kristin Bair explores family, community, and womanhood with sharp wit and keen insight.

Clementine Crane has a few things on her plate: She keeps the peace, picks up the slack, and always puts everyone else first. But when her first hot flash strikes, perimenopause sends her into a tailspin. Between a husband who can't navigate a revolving door without her, three kids who treat her as their fixer, and a career stuck in neutral, Clementine begins to wonder: When is enough enough?

Overwhelmed and fed up, Clementine takes a stand--one small refusal at a time. She goes on strike, ditching obligations, setting boundaries, and venting her frustrations on social media. When her raw, hilarious, and unexpectedly poignant videos go viral, Clementine finds herself at the heart of a movement she never saw coming.

Clementine can't stay on strike forever, but can she let a few things fall through the cracks--before she cracks again? Speaking to the emotional, and often invisible, labor that so many women bear, Clementine Crane finally asks: When does it become too much?

Review Quotes

Praise for Clementine Crane Prefers Not To
"Bair captures Clementine's journey with humor, and it's hard not to cheer for her as she takes back control of her life."
--Booklist

"Bair's humor is broad . . . [women] will cheer right along with Clementine as she resists the strictures of her status as a middle-aged woman, grows her following on TikTok, reads the riot act to a doctor who trivializes her symptoms, and regains agency in her family."
--Library Journal

"For anyone moving through a major life transition--whether it's divorce, menopause, career change, or simply waking up to the ache of self-neglect--this novel is an anthem of autonomy . . . Clementine's story is not just fiction--it's a mirror, a permission slip, and a hopeful blueprint for choosing yourself, over and over again."
--Olivia Howell, host of A Fresh Story: Book Talk podcast

"Clementine is every woman who found her voice and discovered freedom. Relatable, insightful, honest. Loved it!"
--Abbi Waxman, USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

"This book took me back to my preteen years, reading Judy Blume novels with equal parts horror and fascination. Funny, informative, fresh, and productively infuriating, I could not put this book down!" --Suzy Krause, bestselling author of I Think We've Been Here Before

"Bair's surgically precise prose made me howl with both laughter and the pain of self-awareness at once. Clementine Crane should be required reading for men of all ages. In fact, all of her novels should be required reading, period."
--C.B. Bernard, Barry Award-winning author of Ordinary Bear

"Kristin Bair's latest novel is sharp, funny, and uncomfortably relatable in all the best ways. From the first page, Clementine had me laughing out loud. Her inner monologue is hilarious, raw, and spot-on, especially in the chaos of family life (the barrage of teen texts was too real). Bair captures the emotional labor of motherhood, marriage, and midlife with clarity and wit."
--Liane Moccia, author of The Herbal Fertility Handbook

About the Author

Kristin Bair is a big-hearted storyteller who skewers the patriarchy with wit and warmth. Her novels--Agatha Arch Is Afraid of Everything (a People magazine Best New Book), The Art of Floating, and Thirsty--shine a fierce and funny light on womanhood, identity, and power. Her latest, Clementine Crane Prefers Not To, is a blazing anthem for anyone ready to rewrite the rules.