We Only Know So Much - by Elizabeth Crane (Paperback)

About the Book

A funny and moving debut novel that follows four generations of a singularly weird American family, all living under one roof, as each member confronts a moment of crisis in a narrative told through a uniquely quirky, charming, and unforgettable voice.

Book Synopsis

A funny and moving debut novel that follows four generations of a singularly weird American family, all living under one roof, as each member confronts a moment of crisis in a narrative told through a uniquely quirky, charming, and unforgettable voice. Acclaimed short story writer Elizabeth Crane, well known to public radio listeners for her frequent and captivating contributions to WBEZ Chicago's Writer's Block Party, delivers a sublime, poignant, and often hilarious first novel, perfect for fans of Jessica Anya Blau's The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and Heather O'Neill's Lullabies for Little Criminals.

"Crane has a distinctive and eccentric voice that is consistent and riveting." --New York Times Book Review

From the Back Cover

Jean Copeland, an emotionally withdrawn wife and mother of two, has taken a secret lover--only to lose him in a moment of tragedy that leaves her reeling. Her husband, Gordon, is oblivious, distracted by the fear that he's losing his most prized asset: his memory. Daughter Priscilla (a pill since birth--don't get us started) is talking about clothes, or TV, or whatever, and hatching a plan to extend her maddening reach to all of America. Nine-year-old Otis is torn between his two greatest loves: crossword puzzles and his new girlfriend.

At the back of the house, grandfather Theodore is in the early throes of Parkinson's disease. (And he's fine with it--as long as they continue to let him walk the damn dog alone.) And Vivian, the family's ninety-eight-year-old matriarch, is a razor-sharp grande dame who suffers no fools...and still harbors secret dreams of her own.

With empathy, humor, and an unforgettable voice, Elizabeth Crane reveals what one family finds when everyone goes looking for meaning in all the wrong places.

Review Quotes

"Crane has a distinctive and eccentric voice that is consistent and riveting." - New York Times Book Review on When the Messenger is Hot
"Grade: A" - Entertainment Weekly on All This Heavenly Glory
"Clever, inventive, and piquant, Crane's breathless stories hit the brain with more voltage than a double espresso." --Booklist - Booklist on When the Messenger is Hot
"Crane has created an entirely original style that is one part stand-up routine, two parts confessional." - San Francisco Chronicle on When the Messenger is Hot
"At last a novel from Elizabeth Crane! With her expert humorist's eye for detail, she gives us a playful, passionate story of longing, heartbreak, and of the gargantuan human will. You won't be able to stop reading." - Deb Olin Unferth, author of Revolution
"Not since The Royal Tenenbaums have I loved a family so much. The Copelands of WE ONLY KNOW SO MUCH are wonderfully eccentric, hilariously not self-aware and strangely adorable. They seemed so real, I felt like I was reading my own family story." - Jessica Anya Blau, author of The Summer of Naked Swim Parties and Drinking Closer to Home
"Funny, scathing and yet thoroughly empathetic. . . . Author of three terrific story collections, [Crane] has finally written us a novel, and what a joy it is! Written in the conversational, almost snarky vernacular of an insider, We Only Know So Much provides more space for Crane's deft characterization and sly sense of humor, and gives her characters room to change and grow as they muddle through their crises." - Miami Herald
"Like any good story writer, she had me in the first two paragraphs. . . . A treat to read. The characters are crisp and enjoyable; the narrator is smart and witty." - IOWA PRESS-CITIZEN
"A beautiful, warmhearted, ferociously honest debut that will pull you in with its chorus of true voices and catch you off guard with its playful, restless edginess." - Patrick Somerville, author of The Cradle and This Bright River
"What I know for sure is this: Elizabeth Crane understands family. The simple pleasures, the daily outrage, the constant burying of secrets. Be careful what you say to your children -- they are listening. A funny and remarkable first novel." - Marcy Dermansky, author of Bad Marie and Twins
"Crane expertly draws a family portrait in which all the faces are turned away from each other, capturing perfectly how we can live in close proximity and still be completely absorbed in our own secret worlds, yearning for the past or too eager for the future, but never giving ourselves to the present. Whether these characters want love, kindness, memory, connection or fame for fame's sake, Crane makes them human-and even if they are not connecting with each other, we connect with them." - Interview.com
"Its style is literary, with an edge: The point of view is wicked, the characters prickly, the language not quite quotable here. I can't wait to read past the first chapter." - Los Angeles Times
"The Copelands would feel right at home in a Noah Baumbach movie. . . . Our narrator is an omniscient 'We' who reports the goings-on of the family with the breathless glee of an incurable gossip." - Entertainment Weekly
"Crane is an accomplished, prolific short story writer; in her debut novel, she makes painful issues accessible via a clever, original narrative voice that allows the reader to peek inside her characters. By accentuating their offbeat flaws and failures, Crane reveals a dark, yet endearing, sense of humanity. In the end, the "ordinary" aspects of living life, however dysfunctional, escalate until the novel reaches thought-provoking conclusions about the meaning of life." - Shelf Awareness
"With enormous heart and her trademark wit, Elizabeth Crane tells the story of a family that's drifted apart, where its members are acutely aware of their own disappointments and yearnings but are not as quick to see how they've contributed to the mess. Readers will find reflections of themselves in these pages, and it will act as a wake-up call. This is the kind of book that inspires a person to see the beauty in the ordinary, to stop concentrating on others' failings long enough to see their spark and maybe rediscover his or her own." - Susan Henderson, author of Up from the Blue
"This is the kind of book that inspires a person to see the beauty in the ordinary, to stop concentrating on others' failings long enough to see their spark and maybe rediscover his or her own." - Susan Henderson, author of Up from the Blue
"Crane delivers a unique and dizzying tale that delves into the emotional life of a family teetering on the brink of everything. . . . The beauty in Crane's novel is her sweep from acid commentary to heartfelt portrayal of real-life loves and losses. . . . Life in a snow globe made from dashed dreams and misunderstandings." - Kirkus Reviews
"Crane delivers a unique and dizzying tale that delves into the emotional life of a family teetering on the brink of everything. . . . The beauty in Crane's novel is her sweep from acid commentary to heartfelt portrayal of real-life loves and losses." - Kirkus Reviews
"Crane's novel is filled with deliciously idiosyncratic characters, humorous and distinct narration, and a whole lot of personality. Each character's emotional growth is just enough to satisfy, without being overbearing. . . . Crane's summer novel has undeniable heart." - Publishers Weekly
"This is an irresistible and winsome read. A truly astute tale of love neglected and reclaimed, family resiliency, spiritual inquiries, and personal metamorphoses." - Booklist (starred review)