Gravity Is the Thing - by Jaclyn Moriarty (Paperback)

About the Book

"Twenty years ago, Abigail Sorenson's brother Robert went missing one day before her sixteenth birthday, never to be seen again. That same year, she began receiving scattered chapters in the mail of a self-help manual, the Guidebook, whose anonymous author promised to make her life soar to heights beyond her wildest dreams. The Guidebook's missives have remained a constant in Abi's life--a befuddling yet oddly comforting voice through her family's grief over her brother's disappearance, a move across continents, the devastating dissolution of her marriage, and the new beginning as a single mother and cafâe owner in Sydney. Now, two decades after receiving those first pages, Abi is invited to an all-expenses paid weekend retreat to learn "the truth" about the Guidebook. It's an opportunity too intriguing to refuse. If Everything is Connected, then surely the twin mysteries of the Guidebook and a missing brother must be linked? What follows is completely the opposite of what Abi expected--but it will lead her on a journey of discovery that will change her life--and enchant readers. Gravity Is the Thing is a smart, unusual, wickedly funny novel about the search for happiness that will break your heart into a million pieces and put it back together, bigger and better than before."--

Book Synopsis

One of Real Simple's Best Books of the Year

"I loved this book. . . . Funny, heartbreaking and clever with a mystery at its heart." --Jojo Moyes

"With an eye as keen for human idiosyncrasies as Miranda July's, and a sense of humor as bright and surprising as Maria Semple's, this is a novel of pure velocity." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Twenty years ago, Abigail Sorenson's brother Robert went missing one day before her sixteenth birthday, never to be seen again. That same year, she began receiving scattered chapters in the mail of a self-help manual, the Guidebook, whose anonymous author promised to make her life soar to heights beyond her wildest dreams.

The Guidebook's missives have remained a constant in Abi's life--a befuddling yet oddly comforting voice through her family's grief over her brother's disappearance, a move across continents, the devastating dissolution of her marriage, and the new beginning as a single mother and café owner in Sydney.

Now, two decades after receiving those first pages, Abi is invited to an all-expenses paid weekend retreat to learn "the truth" about the Guidebook. It's an opportunity too intriguing to refuse. If Everything is Connected, then surely the twin mysteries of the Guidebook and a missing brother must be linked?

What follows is completely the opposite of what Abi expected--but it will lead her on a journey of discovery that will change her life--and enchant readers. Gravity Is the Thing is a smart, unusual, wickedly funny novel about the search for happiness that will break your heart into a million pieces and put it back together, bigger and better than before.

From the Back Cover

A frequently hilarious, brilliantly observed novel that follows a single mother's heartfelt search for greater truths about the universe, her family, and herself

Twenty years ago, Abigail Sorenson's brother, Robert, went missing one day before her sixteenth birthday. That same year, she began receiving scattered chapters of a self-help manual in the mail, The Guidebook, whose mysterious authors promised to make her life soar to heights beyond her wildest dreams.

The Guidebook's missives have remained a constant in Abi's life--a befuddling yet oddly comforting voice through her family's grief over her brother's disappearance, a move across continents, the devastating dissolution of her marriage, and her new beginning as a single mother and café owner in Sydney.

Now, two decades after receiving those first pages, Abi is invited to an all-expenses-paid weekend retreat to learn "the truth" about The Guidebook. It's an opportunity too intriguing to refuse. If Everything Is Connected, then surely the twin mysteries of The Guidebook and her missing brother must be linked.

What follows is the complete opposite of what Abi expected--but it will lead her on a journey of discovery that will bring a disparate cast of characters into her life and change it forever. Gravity Is the Thing is a smart, unusual, wickedly funny novel about the search for happiness that will break your heart into a million pieces and put it back together, bigger and better than before.

Review Quotes

"[A] hilarious, incandescent novel. . . . Moriarty's originality and humor flow on every page of this wise take on loss and healing." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"I loved this book. . . . Funny, heartbreaking and clever with a mystery at its heart." - Jojo Moyes

"This intelligent, quirky epic is multidimensional in its treatment of existential life crises. . . . [a]multifaceted, masterful new work. . . . The book is riveting, and it resolves with a delightful series of twists. By the end, it is likely to have readers dabbing their eyes and smiling, surprised at how it all came together and convinced of Moriarty's genius." - Washington Independent Review of Books

"A powerful meditation on loss, grief, self-help and life. . . . Gravity Is the Thing sneaks up on readers, plucking their heartstrings while they're distracted, chuckling over Moriarty's intimate observations of the everyday peculiarities of life." - The Ridgefield Press

"Moriarty soars in this raw, dryly funny adult debut. . . . At its heart, Moriarty's complex and nimble plot serves as a vehicle for a deeper story. . . . Redemptive and hopeful, Gravity Is the Thing announces the arrival of a fresh, funny and perceptive voice in adult fiction." - Shelf Awareness

"A quirky novel with a lot of heart." - Real Simple, "Five Books That Won't Disappoint"

“Jaclyn Moriarty brings her unfettered imagination and a buoyant sense of humor to Gravity Is the Thing. . . . As Abi accepts an invitation to re-examine her life, readers may laugh, cry and even reflect on their own paths of discovery.” - BookPage starred review

“An utterly unique story of one woman's journey of self-discovery. . . . Moriarty's characters are delightfully fun and quirky. . . . Though this book may beg comparison to the suspenseful work of her sisters Liane and Nicole, this Moriarty's graceful discourse on joy is more likely to please readers of Marian Keyes and Maria Semple.” - Booklist

“GRAVITY IS THE THING is one of the most magical, different, interesting, likable, lovable, beautiful, sad, lovely, immensely uplifting books I have ever read. I read it in an agony of loving it but also being so humbled by the fact that if I lived to be 7,022 years old I would never be able to write a book as good as this. You will adore it--it's an instant classic.” - Marian Keyes

“A thoughtful, beautifully written, truly original, and often hilarious meditation on loss, hope, the self-help industry, and the difficulties of navigating life on earth.” - Emily St John Mandel author of Station Eleven

“Has the fresh, crinkling lilt of a storybook. . . .This book is a joy and rush of fresh water for the soul.” - BookTrib

“Here, Jaclyn Moriarty has given readers a tender and exhilarating tale of what becomes possible when you dare to believe in the impossible. GRAVITY IS THE THING brims with mystery and enchantment on every page. This book will leave readers breathless and aching for more.” - Meghan MacLean Weir author of The Book of Essie

“I am in love with this hilarious and tender story about characters who enchanted and surprised me up to the last page. GRAVITY IS THE THING will lift you up and leave you wondering if the most impossible ideas are actually the heart of everything.” - Mary Adkins author of When You Read This

“Quirky and beguiling, this witty quest for the truth will delight anyone mending their own broken life.” - Kirkus Reviews