How to Sleep at Night - by Elizabeth Harris

Book Synopsis

"Funny, charming...you can do no better than to curl up with this sparkling book."--The Washington Post

"By turns insightful, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, How To Sleep at Night is a delight."-- J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Bestselling author of Friends and Strangers

"This wonderful debut is about the rough and tumble road that true love represents for all of us." --James McBride, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

"This debut sparkles with wit and insight. I found myself laughing and gasping in equal measure. A true testament to the complexities of modern relationships--this book is a must-read for anyone who's ever wondered how to bridge the gap between who we are and who we aspire to be." --Dolly Alderton

A witty and whip-smart novel about love, marriage, and family ties stretched thin by ambition.

Meet Ethan and Gabe. A devoted couple for years, they have successful careers, an adorable daughter, and a house in the New Jersey suburbs. Sure, they may have drifted to different ends of the political spectrum, but their marriage still has its spark. Then one night Ethan makes an announcement: he wants to run for Congress as a Republican--but only if he has progressive Gabe's blessing. For weeks a slightly queasy Gabe struggles between supporting his husband and maintaining his own lefty ideals. He can feel himself slowly pulled under the tide of Ethan's ambitions, even as he becomes widely known as a conservative spouse.

In a nearby town, suburban mom Nicole wonders what happened to her younger self--living in New York City, freely dating men and women, and on a path to a career in the art world. Nicole feels like an accessory in her husband's life and like she's given up on the goals she had for herself. Then an old flame re-enters her life unexpectedly. That woman is Ethan's sister Kate.

A political reporter at a major newspaper, Kate has reached the top of her profession. But the adrenaline rush of chasing a story has lost its thrill. When Nicole--the woman who broke her heart--slides into her DMs just as her brother starts his controversial congressional run, Kate's life is thrown into a tailspin that threatens to derail the success she's worked so hard to achieve.

"A sharply funny exploration of marriage and ambition, How to Sleep at Night has the feel of whispered secrets exchanged over cocktails with your smartest friend."-Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

"This wonderful debut is about the rough and tumble road that true love represents for all of us." -- James McBride, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

Review Quotes

"Funny, charming...you can do no better than to curl up with this sparkling book." -- Washington Post

"Witty...fast-moving...lively." -- New York Times

"Extraordinary." -- Daily Mail (UK)

"And the prize for the novel that best captures its political moment goes to... How to Sleep at Night, Elizabeth Harris's powerhouse debut, in which social loyalties are tested in the most scintillating and witheringly funny ways possible." -- Shelf Awareness

Witty and well-paced...a sharp and often funny study of modern America mores."
-- The Guardian

"A lively, of-the-moment political and domestic drama."
-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"I tore through this timely novel of family, marriage, love and politics. By turns insightful, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, How to Sleep at Night is a delight." -- J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Bestselling author of Friends and Strangers

"A sharply funny exploration of marriage and ambition, How to Sleep at Night has the feel of whispered secrets exchanged over cocktails with your smartest friend." -- Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

"Liz Harris's debut is a witty and poignant story of modern love. It resonates deeply, capturing the delicate balance between our dreams and the realities we face together. I loved it." -- Matt Haig, author of the New York Times bestseller THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

"This debut sparkles with wit and insight, diving headfirst into the tangled web of marriage, identity, and the politics that threaten to pull us apart. As Ethan and Gabe navigate their conflicting dreams, I found myself laughing and gasping in equal measure. A true testament to the complexities of modern relationships--this book is a must-read for anyone who's ever wondered how to bridge the gap between who we are and who we aspire to be." -- Dolly Alderton

"Rollicking and compulsively readable, How to Sleep at Night is about what happens when the line between salvaging and sabotaging a life in crisis gets seriously blurry. So relatable you'll scream." -- Celia Rabess, author of Everything's Fine