PEN/Faulkner Award novelist Kate Christensen has written another witty, caustic, and sexy story. This entertaining midlife crisis tale conveys the lives of three best friends- Josie, “trapped” in a passionless marriage; Indrani, still single, wanting a husband and family; Raquel, a rock star being pilloried in the press for sleeping with a much younger man that has a pregnant fiancée. All three women are middle aged and very successful in their careers/finances, yet all are unhappy with their current life situations. Josie has the sudden revelation that she must leave her husband and feels truly “alive” again after finally making the decision and confronting her husband with it. Raquel has escaped to Mexico City to avoid the press in the U.S. and begs Josie to join her there over the Christmas holiday. Josie makes up her mind to spent time with Raquel (Josie is a licensed therapist and has helped Raquel in the past with drug/alcohol addiction) and will deal with her own marriage situation after the holidays. Indrani frowns upon the choices made by her two best friends but will continue to offer her support, no matter what.

Sex has gotten both Josie and Raquel into complicated, yet interesting trouble. They comfort each other while making the rediscovery of their essential selves while in retreat in Mexico City and begin a healing process that takes some intriguing and gripping twists and turns.

Trouble is a very modern American culture story dealing with a crisis that has been around as long as people have- “midlife”. Christensen’s writing is funny, contemporary, naughty, and entertaining. I would particularly recommend this book to women aged forty plus.

Check out Trouble by Kate Christensen.

Robin Rusco, reviewer

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