Grace is having a midlife crisis. She's mid 40s, perimenopausal, invisible to her teenage daughter, and about to be divorced.
This is the story of one day in Grace's life as she races across town to make it in time to her daughters' 16th birthday party. It's a sweltering day and she's had enough. She abandons her car in traffic and decides to walk to her husband's' house, stopping at the bakery on the way. Consumed with rage at herself and her life, she lets nothing stand in her way, determined to fix what is broken.

For this is also the story of a broken family.

As she starts her journey, she takes you back to 2 other points in time-2002 (when she first meets Ben, her husband at a linguist conference) and 4 months earlier, when her daughter Lotte is having problems in school.

For a debut novel this is an amazing feat. Contrary to other reviewers, I liked the time changes as it gave us a chance to understand Grace and Ben, their relationship, and the tragedy that strikes them. Grace buries this tragedy deep within her until it overflows into rage and despair and she's forced to confront her daughter with her misgivings. I do think Grace was too hard on herself, and the teenage daughter was just horrible. Once you realize the extent of her behavior and acting out it's just sad that she didn't feel she could just talk to her mother instead, but the teenage angst felt very real. The description of the tragedy and hearing Lotte's feelings about it gave me a lump in my throat.
The grand confrontation with Ben and Lotte was amazing and it was playing out in my head as a great movie score, handcuffs and all. I'm rooting for Ben and Grace in the next chapter of their lives and hope we see them again soon!

I finished Amazing Grace Adams over one weekend, but its fierce title character and gut-wrenching plot will be with me for a very, very long time. A deceptively simple framing structure of a woman's journey across town incorporates memories from two other defining periods of Grace's life, gradually revealing the devastation of one family and its individual members. Told in visceral, unyielding language, the narration allows us to tap into Grace's rage, love, guilt, triumph, and sorrow first hand, through both her memories and her physical exhaustion and pain. The use of rare and untranslatable words from other languages is a unique and lovely tool of expression in the narrative. Part love story, part women's fiction, this is, more than anything else, the story of a mother's love and the lengths she will go to to make sure her child knows the depth of that love. I can't recommend this debut highly enough; given the impact of this novel on my own personal psyche, I look forward to a long writing career by Fran Littlewood.

A debut novel by Littlewood which depicts a middle-aged women's reflections on her unraveling life as she tries to get to her estranged daughter's 16th birthday party. Middle aged women will be able to relate to the loss of careers, hopes, dreams, and often, so much more that is selflessly sacrificed for their children and families, and society in general, that they often begin to reflect upon in middle age as their children approach teenage years.

Littlewood nails this too often taboo topic, while dealing with other modern family hot topics involving raising teenagers in our current technology age, relationships, and divorce, with humor, charm, and emotions in this cleverly written novel.

At times the book seemed to drag on with a bit too many unrealistic escapades from Grace's task of getting her daughter's birthday cake delivered. Otherwise, overall, was a really enjoyable book and highly recommend.

I thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for my ARC of this book.

I absolutely adored Grace Adams (even in moments when she may have seemed less than lovable)! Moving throughout time (now, 2-4 months in the past, and 5-10 years in the past) we begin to get a picture of what led Grace Adams to this day. This day where she is so intent to get to her daughter's birthday party that she abandons her car in traffic and sets off on foot. Which certainly isn't the only out of the ordinary thing she'll do on her quest.

What unravels throughout the course is an exploration of why it was that Grace and her daughter weren't speaking, why her marriage dissolved, why life seems to be falling apart at the seams. Yet rather than a tragedy there is humor to be found in the experiences Grace has. You can't help but sympathize with her. And the plot is made all the better by Fran Littlewood's exquisite writing and phrasing!

Are there moments where things perhaps seem a bit unbelievable? Sure. But doesn't fiction allow us the opportunity to escape for a bit, bending the rules of what's feasible and what is not? I certainly think so.

This is a lovely debut and one that makes me quite curious to see what Fran writes in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the opportunity to read and review prior to its US publication on September 5, 2023.

Amazing Grace Adams is a beautifully written book about grief and personal accountability. The author notes that it's based on the 1993 film Falling Down with Michael Douglas, and certainly I recognized that straight away as the book started. But this is about the pressures on perimenopausal women, and mothers, and being a woman today - and our complicated feelings about marriage and motherhood. I thoroughly enjoyed this exploration of those themes and Littlewood does a great job of leading us through.

If I have a criticism as a reader -- and this is not a criticism of the writing or the book itself -- it's that I wish some of the issues weren't as concrete in this book. What I mean is that some things that were happening, such as the teenage daughter Lotte's snottiness and coldness to her mother, had an actual reason behind it. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes life is really hard with teenagers. And that's here, but there were explanations for it. Still, what Littlewood has done is make us think about whether that kind of attitude deserves a reason, or is a result of parenting, or something else. And that's a great thing to do - make the reader think.

Amazing Grace Adams had a really intense plot with some almost equality intense subplots. Sometimes the plot was heavy and dense, and, other times light and funny. It really unfolded a lot about the behind the scenes of a family setting, but specially, unfold the deepest feelings of a mother and woman who was suffering but didn’t have the option to feel her pain, as she had to be strong for her daughter. Amazing Grace Adams shows Grace life struggles through a perspective that often times we only have if we are leaving the situation. The way that plot is articulated shows to the reader that there are so much that goes on in a relationship between a husband and wife, that nobody outside of it, specially a child could never dream of. This book is raw and intimate. Each chapter plays with the reader feelings; we feel for Grace, we hate Ben, we feel for Ben, we judge Grace. Fran Littlewood creates a natural dialogue between the story and the reader.
The message throughout the book was impeccable. It will definitely make anyone be more empathetic, careful, and I even dare to say be more grateful for all that our own mothers have done and do to us.
The story goes back and fourth between past and present. Not really my favorite style because I got confused in some parts.
I would recommend this book for all women because the story will definitely change you, for better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC! I’m not a mother so this book wasn’t completely relevant to me. With that being said, it was an enjoyable read. I found it to be both heartbreaking at times and heartwarming at other times. The book’s main character has many qualities that are relatable as she is unpredictable, quirky and awesome.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was funny, sad, courageous and overall a look into our frailties as human beings. Look forward to more novels from this author. Her characters were lovable and heart rendering.

Not a fan of jumping timelines, sometimes the details get lost in the to & fro -FRENETIC
The extent of what women or any human goes through via body changes and/or grief is inexplicable. The main character seems manic & adrift in the first half of the book - leading you to believe that this was about menopause and the hysterical truth of aging, but the complexities and the eventual probable cause are revealed too late & obscure- not really addressing the angst that put her on her wild journey.

This book was so well written. I kept noticing the care the author took to describe a feeling or what was happening or both. Truly, excellent writing. I had a hard time with some of the story. It felt like there were too many underlying issues, which I guess could be true in real life. It just felt like more and more tragedy and pain kept being revealed as the story went on and I wasn’t ready for some of it. Overall, the writing itself was what made me like this book, but I wish the story could have unfolded differently.

When I read the synopsis of Amazing Grace Adams I immediately wanted to read this book. I feel like I have a lot in common with the main character and I so rarely get to see myself in books. Peri-menopausal? Check! Daughter? Check! Divorce? Check!

However, the format of the book made it difficult to read. The book quickly goes back and forth between the past, future, and present. Our main character, Grace, is a talented and capable person. Her decisions left me confused because they didn't mesh with who she is supposed to be. It made the reading experience confusing and jarring.

If you like books about women, women's issues, and family-related drama, you would probably like this book. I can see where fans of Liane Moriarty would like this novel.

The early chapters were interesting and made me like/be invested in the characters, but the more I read, the less I liked anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Grace Adams is Amazing. She captures the reader with a love story that begins with a line of BIC pens, carries the reader onward through the struggles of adolescence of a teenage girl, the tragic loss of a child, and the dissolution and reconfiguration of a marriage. This story will ring true for anyone who has loved deeply, found a partner when it was unexpected, struggled and grieved for one’s children or found and lost love from a partner, a child or a parent. Mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. And after all of that, it is kindly and sensitively written with details that will make the reader feel like they are living the story. And even more, it’s set in fabulous London!


Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for the Advanced Review Copy.

Wow! Amazing Grace Adams is a powerful read. Fran Littlewood does a great job of capturing so many of the complicated emotions of motherhood. The story is heartbreaking yet hopeful. Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Fran Littlewood for the ARC! It was a really great book!

What else could go wrong?

In the words of Alexander, Grace Adams is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
She is only tying to get a cake to her daughter for her 16th bday, but an avalanche of baggage falls into her path.

I went into the book thinking it might have some relatable humor, but that was not the case. Serious topics introduced include but not limited to child loss, loss of career, mental health, divorce, menopause, midlife crisis and raising teenage girls in the time of Tik tok!

The story unfolds across a variety of timelines present day, months before and years before.. Within the timelines there are also other flashbacks which I found to be a little confusing at times.

The story didn’t bring me the humor and joy I anticipated. However, it does address serious topics and challenges that mothers face. It would be a great book club discussion!

Few areas of the books resembled movies or books. If you enjoyed these, then you may enjoy this book. Pregnant women in the workforce - think Lessons in Chemistry. I also had images of Kathy Bates mid life crisis character in Fried Green Tomatos. Those that enjoyed the movie falling down are sure to love this book.

Oh man, Amazing Grace Adams is a tough book to review. While the suspension of belief is high, the levels of disaster and grief are excessive, it's a well told story that really hits home. Parents of teens, especially women going through peri menopause, need this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

I had the pleasure of reading Fran Littlewood's upcoming novel, Amazing Grace Adams, set to release on September 5th, 2023. I enjoyed my reading experience and would recommend this book to fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and possibly to fans of Finlay Donovan is Killing It who are looking for something a bit less mystery and more contemporary fiction.

I give this book a solid 4-star rating. Littlewood's writing style is accessible and lends itself to fast page-turning. I fell in love with Grace, the main protagonist, within the first few chapters and her well-meaning antics kept me reading to the very end.

The story follows Grace Adams as she presently navigates her way on foot to her daughter’s 16th birthday party as an unwelcomed party guest. We go back in time to find out how Grace has a daughter in the first place, after openly ‘not wanting children’, how and why she’s now estranged from her child, and why Grace is the way she is—harried, extreme, at times obscene, and maybe—we’re not quite sure—losing grip on reality.

Yes, the story does get a bit far-fetched in moments. I didn’t mind this because all the pieces came together in the end, providing a somehow plausible story with a character at the center whom I won’t soon forget.

Overall, Amazing Grace Adams is a heartfelt and entertaining story that will leave readers feeling uplifted. I cannot wait to see what Fran Littlewood has in store for us in the future.

Absolutely a fan of Fran Littlewood! The writing style is just seamless and so enjoyable. I loved reading about Grace, the 45 year old main character, and her mid-life crisis of sorts. I found the story line with her daughter to be so relevant as a mom of teens myself. Fresh, funny, cheeky, tender… loved this one!

This is a raw and emotionally charged story of modern motherhood.

The main storyline is set on the day of the 16th birthday of Grace Adam's daughter, Lotte. Grace reaches breaking point and snaps. As the day progresses we catch glimpses through the years of the events leading up to this point and come to understand and sympathize with Grace. Being a mother is hard, being a wife is hard, and it doesn't help that we are our own worst critic.

While the events of that chaotic day become increasingly out of control and a bit far fetched I could also emphasize with Grace. As a similarly aged women and a mother, I can feel her anguish and see just how easily things spiral so out of her control. Through all of this though we also see Grace's grit and resilience. She is a woman, she loves fiercely and she will keep getting back up no matter what life throws at her next.

This was a well written debut novel. I especially appreciated how Lotte's polyglot parents, while having an in-depth knowledge of many languages, flounder with the complexity of communicating emotions and are perplexed by the social media language of their daughter's world.

Also a shout out to Fran Littlewood for writing about the realities of perimenopause. This is a very real and often completely life-altering experience for women and it needs to be openly discussed more rather than dismissed as a frivolous and imaginary ailment of middle age women.

I am still reeling from the emotional hit and I know this story will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for sending me this book for review consideration.

ARC Review (c/0 NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. Publishing. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.)

Usually we expect the book to come first, followed by the film, yet the idea for this novel is attributed to the 1993 film 'Falling Down' and knowing this helps to affix the plot and its troubled protagonist in place. 

Grace Adams is a pitiful, mess of a mother and she says that of herself, swearing to herself, cursing at the troubles of her mental and physical state. The fact that she's meant to be perimenopausal is an embarrassing addition to the character's backstory and being a mid-40 year old mother myself, I'm not certain who the target reader is for this novel! At times, I empathised with Grace, wanting her to break away from the mundane normalitude of her existence, yet at other times, I felt like this representation of women at a most fragile and tumultuous stage of life is not supportive. It presented Grace Adams, in spite of the tragedies and external mishaps affecting her mid-life as unstable and perhaps a bit insane. Younger Grace is a great character. Mid-life Grace...not so much and this bothered me since I thought she was going to have more of a feisty older character, to make older females feel better about what lies ahead?

Nevertheless, there is excitement in the plot. There are memories of a younger, care-free self and the raw emotion of relationships experienced earlier in Grace's life.  The story spans from 2002 to 2018 with a present and 'four months earlier' story too. This allows the reader to get to know Grace's husband Ben before they meet, during and after their marriage, as well as their teenage daughter Lotte who contributes a huge element to the plot. 

The amalgamation of life revelations and incidents do come across as a little contrived in the second half of the novel, which is a weird thing to say since the story could almost be autobiographical in style as to how real each circumstance seems to be. It's as if the author has muddled up a number of family events from experiences she has come across in life to create a female protagonist with a lot of problems and troubles to deal with. Some elements of the story are incredibly sad and real, almost too real, so that the novel does not help in lightening the anticipation of perimenopause or menopause at all! 

It's a capable debut novel and I enjoyed the opening chapters most. I reckon younger teens might enjoy this novel more than the perimenopausal mothers it might be targeting! 

review by Christina Francis-Gilbert

A heartbreaking novel jumping through then and now vignettes of Grace Adams that threads a story of loss, depression, abuse, love, and fear. A day in the life of Grace moves through the vignettes trying to create a picture that explains Grace’s current situation and emotional status.
As I read, I kept attempting to pull the pieces of Grace together from the segments. I was lost until the reason for her behavior is explored almost at the end of the book. Then, it became clear but at the cost of losing my interest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.