I’m Fine and Neither Are You
Camille Pagan
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: April 1, 2019 (Lake Union Publishing)
Rating: 
Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all—and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.
Then a shocking tragedy reveals that Jenny’s life is far from perfect. Reeling, Penelope vows to stop keeping the peace and finally deal with the issues in her relationship. So she and Sanjay agree to a radical proposal: both will write a list of changes they want each other to make—then commit to complete and total honesty.
What seems like a smart idea quickly spirals out of control, revealing new rifts and even deeper secrets. As Penelope stares down the possible implosion of her marriage, she must ask herself: When it comes to love, is honesty really the best policy?
Every once in a while I come across a book that resonates with me on a personal level. That I adore for more than the beautiful writing, characters, or setting. It happens when you read a book with themes that strike so close to home you wonder if the author has been writing about you. Penelope from I’m Fine and Neither Are You feels like someone that I would, could, or should know. And sometimes I found myself thinking, that’s me. I get it.
Penelope, as I see her, is an average, harried wife and mother. She has thrown herself into the role of breadwinner and primary child wrangler. Her husband Sanjay, a stay-at-home dad/writer combo, comes across as a mixture of roommate and third child rather than a spouse and father. Her two children are rambunctious and more enemies than siblings most days. Life is a race and more often than not, Penelope feels like she is losing ground. More importantly, she doesn’t feel like herself anymore. Her one outlet for the buildup of frustration is her best friend Jenny.
Jenny, from the outside looking in, has the picture-perfect life. A handsome and successful husband, a wonderful daughter, gorgeous house, a thriving blog, and she always looks pulled together. She is Penelope’s closest confidant and friend. When tragedy strikes, lives are upended and perceptions are shattered. Most of this book, we follow Penelope on her journey to pick up the pieces after losing her friend. Suddenly, she experiences a keen sense of urgency to repair the fractures she sees in her marriage starting with being honest with her husband and vice versa. As difficult subjects and truths come to the surface, Penelope begins to wonder if speaking her mind and sharing her truths are truly helping her relationship with Sanjay or driving them further apart.
This is a wonderful book that has landed on my top five reads of January and I suspect will also be on my list of favorite reads of 2019. I can’t recommend this book enough, and if I could give it more than five stars, I would. Camille Pagán has produced a truly wonderful, relatable story that reminds readers that other parents struggle with the balancing act of being a parent, spouse, and an individual. We are not alone in our struggles.
*I received an advanced copy from the author/publisher through netgalley; all opinions are my own.
