Maggie; Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar - by Katie Yee (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A Chinese American woman spins tragedy into comedy when her life falls apart in a taut, wry debut novel that grapples with grief, motherhood, and myths--perfect for fans of Joan Is Okay and Crying in H Mart.

A man and a woman walk into a restaurant. The woman expects a lovely night filled with endless plates of samosas. Instead, she finds out her husband is having an affair with a woman named Maggie.

A short while after, her chest starts to ache. She walks into an examination room, where she finds out the pain in her breast isn't just heartbreak--it's cancer. She decides to call the tumor Maggie.

Unfolding in fragments over the course of the ensuing months, Maggie; Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar follows the narrator as she embarks on a journey of grief, healing, and reclamation. She starts talking to Maggie (the tumor), getting acquainted with her body's new inhabitant. She overgenerously creates a "Guide to My Husband: A User's Manual" for Maggie (the other woman), hoping to ease the process of discovering her ex-husband's whims and quirks. She turns her children's bedtime stories into retellings of Chinese folklore passed down by her own mother, in an attempt to make them fall in love with their shared culture--and to maybe save herself in the process.

In the style of Jenny Offill and the tradition of Nora Ephron's hilarious and devastating writing on heartbreak and womanhood, Maggie is a master class in transforming personal tragedy into a form of defiant comedy.

Review Quotes

"Buoyant and profound...surprisingly optimistic and touching, a portrait of everyday resilience and bravery."--The Today Show

"MAGGIE is a stunning novel. With sharp wit and a keen eye for the messy intricacies of human connection, Yee has written a story as playful as it is profound. I immediately loved the narrator and was captivated by her journey, her humor, and insight. MAGGIE is a gem of a novel, one that will make you think, make you feel, and make you laugh." --Alison Espach, author of The Wedding People

"Katie Yee's wise, tender debut explores one of the most relatable of human struggles: trying to function when almost everything is falling apart. Yet, amidst great loss, a love story of fierce and unyielding female friendship emerges. MAGGIE will be a companion for anyone navigating liminal territory, the place between the past and where the new and unknown begin. Yee's prose sings and sparkles with humor and hope from start to finish."--Emily Habeck, author of Sharkheart: A Love Story

"A stand-out and must read debut. This is a poignant exploration of a woman's unraveling, when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected confession. Katie Yee weaves a tale of complex emotions and subtle betrayals, with a keen eye for the intricacies of human relationships and the quiet, often overlooked moments of life. Every paragraph is perfect."--Weike Wang, Author of Joan is Okay

"Katie Yee is a storyteller extraordinaire. This book is like a boat you get on to drift into magical waters, full of heart and heartbreak, teeming with feeling." --Delia Ephron, Author of Left on Tenth

"This book is a lump in the throat, a punchline that hurts, a catalogue of life's curveballs. MAGGIE is miraculously funny, a tender and wisecracking missive from the midst of catastrophe. Katie Yee knows that at the center of every joke, and every person, there is a broken heart."

--Hilary Leichter, author of Terrace Story

About the Author

Katie Yee is a writer from Brooklyn. She has received fellowships from the Center for Fiction, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and Kundiman. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, No Tokens, The Believer, the Washington Square Review, Triangle House, Epiphany, and Literary Hub. By day, she works at the Brooklyn Museum. By night, she writes, usually under the watch of her judgmental rescue dog, Ollie.