Not quite sure how to rate this. Seemed there were basically 3 story arcs to this and none of them were satisfactorily concluded for me.

This novel takes place in 2016 & follows a particular time in a woman's life, the events & happenings surrounding this single woman who works as a set designer in the Chicago area. The reader gets to know her friends, co-workers, love interests & trysts, & neighbors. And that's really what the book is about...... we see how things/events take place & affect her & those around her.....it's about how life happens to/for/with her.... I didn't think it was overly exciting, but it was interesting to see how it all played out. I guess I was a bit torn in how to rate it as I guess my initial reaction was "it was ok, yeah, I guess I liked it"......so maybe my rating should be 2.5! It was certainly an ok read, it deals with 'present day' issues & it reads right along. I liked it's shorter length, at about 230 pgs.
I received this e-book free from Atria Books via NetGalley, in exchange for reading & offering my own fair & honest review.

When Carol Anshaw released CARRY THE ONE in 2012, it was an instant hit --- readers everywhere praised her careful observations and skilled wordplay, along with her heartfelt and compassionate storyline. Now, following a seven-year wait, Anshaw returns with RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER, an equally keen-eyed and sharp novel with more than a few surprises up its sleeve.

It is the fall of 2016 when we meet forty-something Cate, a skilled but under-praised set designer who is in a bit of a slump. For too long, Cate waited to see what would happen when she grew up; now she is 40 and more uncertain than ever. Even worse, she is living with her ex-husband and his dog, she is getting over a toxic relationship, and she has just learned that her new girlfriend has a crazier backstory than she ever could have imagined. Still, there are bright spots in Cate’s life: namely her best friend, Neale, and Neale’s son, who offers her a glimpse into the life she fears she might have missed. Set against the backdrop of Trump’s presidency and divided into two parts centered on a devastating tragedy, RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER is a story of uncertainties, hard truths and change.

Cate is a wonderful protagonist: stuck in life and full of potential, but with a bevy of frustrating flaws that make her feel as real as your own best friend, lover or coworker. Her passion for set design is a terrific lifeline in the book: I learned a ton about historical accuracy, the importance of size and placement, and, of course, the theater. But what is more interesting about Cate is her apparent cognitive dissonance with her life. Though she is in her 40s, her choices --- in life, love and career --- often seem to be made by someone much younger who is dragging their heels against the rush of time, which adds a sense of coming-of-age to this otherwise very grown-up novel. At the same time, she practically drools with envy over Neale’s much more content life of motherhood, independence and bravery.

Interspersed with Cate’s chapters, we meet Nathan and Irene, reckless and vaguely sociopathic drug addicts who live nearby, and whose lives cross with Cate’s when she catches them in Neale’s kitchen. The violence she witnesses is so catastrophically traumatizing that it forces Cate back into her body and life with stark and painful repercussions. Faced with an impending presidential term that terrifies her, her own midlife crisis and now her best friend’s vicious attack, Cate must decide how exactly she can proceed and become the person she wants to be --- and who that even is anymore.

This is my first time reading a book by Carol Anshaw, and I was absolutely blown away by her careful and economic writing. Though the novel does not feel forced in any way, it is obvious that she chooses each word with careful precision --- there is no single wasted sentence or clichéd phrase. Like her previous works, RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER is short, because Anshaw observes her characters and their emotions and actions sharply and vividly, so that each portrait is so fully fleshed out that there is no need to prattle on. However, her portrayals of some characters --- like Cate, Maureen and Neale --- are so perfectly sharp that others fall flat. You may care for Cate, but it is difficult to apply that feeling to Anshaw’s supporting characters, who can lessen the weight of her powerful statements about life and its hardships.

Building upon her own skilled wordplay and characterizations, Anshaw also dissects the ways that small, seemingly meaningless choices and events can forever alter the course of one’s life. More importantly, as with Cate, they can alter the way one sees oneself --- and that is sometimes more impactful than any major life change.

I’ve said already that Anshaw writes beautifully and vividly --- perhaps more so than any author I’ve read in recent memory. That said, RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER is a difficult book to describe. As much as Cate feels stuck in her life, Anshaw’s writing sometimes feels stuck in a lack of action. Few major plot points occur here, and the biggest does not unfold until midway through. Despite Anshaw’s snapshot-like writing propelling the reader forward, I can see why some may put this book down too early, hoping for more “oomph.” The pacing is, unfortunately, painfully realistic, which can feel daunting in fiction.

That said, if you can handle a slow burn, you will definitely be rewarded by Anshaw’s clever, keenly observed writing, her astute and remarkably familiar characterizations, and, of course, the story of how one woman becomes stuck --- and how she can ever move past her own complacencies.

Cate is a theater set designer in Chicago, and in 2016 her career has hit a bumpy road, along with her love life, both of which she’s trying to repair. In the meanwhile, her ex-husband and his dog are camping out in the apartment he bought for her; she’s trying to avoid Dana, the woman she had an affair with, while attempting to make a relationship with another woman work. All this is the backdrop for a horrible incident involving Cate’s best friend, Neale. In a world where things are changing rapidly, including American politics, finding something steady is as difficult as expecting the weather to be unchangeable.

This is one of the books that the publicist for Fredrik Backman’s books offered me, when I asked if he’d be willing to answer my Countdown Questions (he apparently doesn’t do them when he’s writing a new novel). The other one was “The Women of the Copper Country,” which I’ve already reviewed here, and this book couldn’t be more different. First of all, although it certainly would be considered women’s fiction, it is also contemporary and LGBT fiction. While I have come to prefer historical fiction, I really have no problem reading good contemporary novels. As for the LGBT aspect, while this novel’s protagonist has come to realize that she is a lesbian, there’s not a whole lot of sex here, which I was happy about (since I dislike reading steamy sex scenes in general – straight or gay).

As for what I thought of this book, although in general, I liked it a good deal, I’m also a bit on the fence here. On the one hand, I really liked Anshaw’s prose a great deal. It is honest, open, and straightforward with some lovely dashes of humor, despite the fact that she describes what seems to be a very difficult time for Cate. In fact, what we get here is a third person character study of Cate, who is ultimately indefinable as a woman trying to find her way – through all the aspects of her life. Furthermore, there are many, really lovely descriptions of Cate’s set design work, how Cate chooses what she wants for a certain scene, what she’s trying to achieve, and why some things work better (or worse) than others. Of course, my being an ex-Chicagoan made me also enjoy the descriptions of the main setting there, and cringe at some of the descriptions of Cate’s visit to some seedier parts of New York (real Chicagoans hate NY, so anything that disses it is fine with me).
There’s also this “parallel universe” part which, thankfully, isn’t at all fantasy based. In fact, it is simply parts of the story devoted to the two real-life vagrants (for wont of a better word) who are the perpetrators of the violent incident visited upon Neale. Their sides of the story show up as indented text in a smaller font than the rest of the narrative to set them apart from Cate’s story. This technical mechanic works well, not only because it is visually distinctive, but also because Anshaw uses a much darker tone to her prose in these sections to describe their crimes and drug use and negative attitudes towards normal, civil society. They are, in a way, the embodiment of the metaphor of the weather in the title – a type of perfect storm that brews on the horizon, only to erupt and disrupt Cate life, and all those connected to Cate.

However, what had me on the fence here was that the climax of this story – the incident where these two violently, and literally come into Neale’s and Cate’s life (which is described as an assault in the blurbs of this book, so no spoilers here), felt less than explosive as it could have been. Yes, I get that Cate’s memory of the incident is partially blocked, since often the brain will try to exclude remembering traumatic situations, and that’s fine. However, this book was written in third person, and although I abhor graphic violence in novels (much like I despise graphic sex), I think that by using that POV, Anshaw could have allowed herself to be a bit more graphic with this scene, which would have made it more punchy for me. It just missed the “wow” factor by describing it as sketchily as she did here. In addition, although I also understand that this is a character study – which I happen to like – I also felt that the action after the home invasion fell slightly flat for me. While we understand that this is the part of the book where Cate has to work through her feelings about her own instinctive actions when she finds the intruders attacking Neale, and she uses her work to try to avoid this, the parallel that I think Anshaw was trying to express here didn’t feel as evenly written as it could have been. I wish I could put my finger on what Anshaw could have done to fix this, but I’m afraid I can’t.

Like I said, I’m a bit on the fence here, but I think I’m still going to recommend this book, since I think Anshaw’s writing is very accessible and highly enjoyable to read, even if the action is somewhat on the weak side. For this, I think I’ll give it three and a half stars out of five, mostly because it certainly made me want to see what else Anshaw has written, which is always a good thing!

This story was slow paced and I never really connected with the characters. The writing was beautiful and very well done. The plot was just ok for me. I’m sure there are many who will really enjoy this edgy novel.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The play she is building sets for is "at ease". Its taking place in the late 1950s on a military base in Georgia. I was bored

I did not finish Right After the Weather because I cannot stand when a work of fiction gets heavily political. If I want that, I'll choose a book about politics or with politics at its core, like a book about the CIA's inner workings or something. I read to escape the 24/7 politics everywhere climate we live in these days.

That said, had this book not leaned so heavily on politics I might have finished it. The writing was okay and the story pulled me in.

Would I recommend this book? No.

Normally I would not leave a review if I didn't finish, but this time I felt I needed to because I know there are many, many people out there that feel like I do about politics in the books they read.

I received an ARC at my request and thank Netgalley, the publisher and author.

I didn't care for any of the characters and couldn't identify with them. The plot was somewhat vague and it. seemed to take forever for anything to happen. The book felt like a bunch of 'politically correct' themes were thrown in there to see what would stick. I'm just really tired of hearing about people whine about the 2016 election, talk about whether they're straight or gay (don't they know?!) and go back and forth while deciding.

I guess this book might resonate with lots of people but sure didn't with me.

I have not read anything by Anshaw prior to this read. I enjoyed it, but didn't ever really feel a deep connection to any of the characters. I usually like books like this one, but it didn't click for some reason. I loved her style of writing overall, but the depth was lacking.

RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER, by Carol Anshaw, follows Cate, a talented set designer in her forties, who seems to have been meandered through life, finding fleeting happiness through a combination of passion and convenience. When Cate violently saves her closest friend from being sexually assaulted, her true self is revealed and life seems to meander less and start to have more of a purpose. The question becomes: Does Cate really want to embrace what life has become after such a catastrophic event in her life and will her friends and family ever look at her the same way again?
Anshaw creates a fascinatingly complex main character in Cate. She seems to be a happy person constantly teetering on the edge of unhappiness. Cate has discovered what gives her comfort and eases her mind, but at the same time has a passion to try and do new things, hence the career as a set designer. She can always work on a new play and escape into the world of that play whenever she wants, thereby dodging heavier emotional realities whenever she wants. Because the character of Cate is so well written, at times the supporting characters seem to lack depth and nuance when compared to Cate. The plot slowly work towards pinnacle moment where Cate's life and the tone of the book shifts. Cate's slow discovery that she is a changed woman is captivating to read; the reader can feel the shift slowly happening and sympathize with Cate the whole way through.
RIGHT AFTER THE WEATHER is really a book about self discovery and speaks to people who just drift through life without really finding inspiration and only when emotionally challenged to face their own being can that kind of person really determine what make them tick.

3.5 Rounded Up

I think I read Carol Anshaw's previous book, but I can't be certain. So let's just call me a novice. Initially, I was going to pass on reading this, but a publicist sent it to me so I felt obligated to give it a try. Quite honestly, based on the early reviews I had seen, I was expecting this to go in the DNF pile. At the beginning, I thought this was going to be too 'high brow' for me. As you can see, it wasn't and I actually liked it. However, I can't see myself recommending this to anyone though, either. Yeah, I know...that makes no sense. I'll try to explain....

Ms. Anshaw is without a doubt, a very gifted writer. There were parts that I really, really liked. I also felt that this was a challenge for me as a reader and I'm glad I took on that challenge. The story is told from the perspective of Cate who is a set designer, in her 40's and gay. The setting is Chicago in the fall of 2016. I had no idea this book was going to discuss the election so much, but it served as an ominous backdrop through out. (I would skip the book right away if this isn't your cup of tea or if you just can't handle it right now. It's not really avoidable.)

Cate is struggling. Her ex-husband and his dog are staying with her while he goes through a breakup with his then wife. She is also trying to get over a massively damaging relationship that just ended by moving forward with a new relationship that she would normally have passed on, but now is trying to convince herself to stay in. Her career is kind of at a standstill and she only has her best friend Neale, to get her through. Everything kind of ho-hum's along until it doesn't. Then everything is so turned upside down that Cate has no where to go, but up. I don't have much in common with the main character, but boy did I relate to how she felt about some things. Ms. Anshaw's eloquent prose struck several chords with me and her resilience was easy to root for.

While I thought this was a worthwhile read, it is definitely a different read. There is a lot going on. You're plodding along, you've got the lay of the land and then boom, out of nowhere comes a different story injected into it. It's jarring and it's meant to be jarring. But then the event happens more than half way through the book and then that perspective disappears. So I don't quite understand the point of putting that alternate perspective in the book to begin with. I'm fine with it being put in there, but to me it feels like it was just abandoned after the event took place.

Second, I don't know if this was on purpose, but there were things in here (particularly with the current gf storyline) that were just plain strange and even gross. You'll know what I'm talking about if you read it. I know that was the point (the shock factor as a plot device), but really? I dunno, that almost turned me off completely and I could see it happening to many others.

So to surmise, I don't have a neat and tidy "read this!" or "skip it" at the end of this review. I guess the best way to put it was this was kind of like reading something for AP English that I never would have picked up myself, (and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would), but I wouldn't run out and buy a copy for a friend. This book is for a particular mindset and reader; not for the masses. If I were to guess, I think the author would be okay with that and I guess that's all that really matters.

Thank you to Isabel DaSilva, Atria Books and Carol Anshaw for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Review Date: 10/7/19
Publication Date: 10/1/19

I was less than impressed by this novel. The only positive note I have is that I found the set design career to be a very interesting choice. It was refreshing to see a career that isn't written about as much, but the story itself did nothing for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this book. I kept waiting for something to happen and it just...didn't.

I got to 50% read and still, nothing.

I am going to give this a 2 star review as I did not finish - and this doesn't happen very often for me.

I had high hopes for this book according to the description, it just fell flat for me.

3.5 set design stars

This was my first read from Carol Anshaw and I liked her writing. This one is centered around Cate, who is a set designer for plays (bonus 0.5 stars for this cool occupation!) in Chicago. I did enjoy learning more about what goes into set design.

The characters in this one are quirky, but I didn’t get super-entrenched with any of them. Cate is involved with someone new – Maureen – while she pines for true love Dana. Cate’s conspiracy-obsessed ex-husband has moved back in with her and that twist brings more quirkiness to this cast of characters. Throw in a best friend yoga teacher and her son and that rounds out the group.

A violent incident throws Cate into a tailspin and she never completely deals with the fallout. This one moves along a bit slowly and I didn’t find the end terribly satisfying. However, life sometimes isn’t terribly satisfying and every book doesn’t have to end with a storybook happy ending.

Thank you to Atria Books, Carol Anshaw, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book to read.

This is a beautifully written character study of a middle aged woman named Cate. An enjoyable read but it didn't quite live up to my expectations as the plot is not very developed and the story moves along very slowly. A decent read, exquisitely written but, in my opinion, not particularly memorable.

{My Thoughts}
Right After the Weather by Carol Anshaw was a very different sort of story and one that I enjoyed from start to finish. I found its central character, Cate, immensely appealing. At 42, she was still a bit of a mess. She’d always worked as a set designer in the Chicago theater world, having gained respect, but never quite breaking through to the next level. Cate’s long-ago ex-husband (even more of a mess than Cate) was camped out in her guest room and Cate, herself, was torn between her relationships with two different women. Throw into all this Neale, Cate’s best friend since childhood, and her son Joe, and you’ve got a full cast of interesting characters hovering around Cate.

At first Right After the Weather might seem like a simple a story of how Cate figures out life and finally becomes a real grown up. And in fact, much of the story did revolve around her struggles with knowing what was healthy, knowing what she should be doing, yet wanting something different. That struggle made Cate so likable and so endearing to me. I found myself rooting for her, even as I knew something terrible was going to happen.

“Now a heavy velvet curtain has risen, revealing all around her a lively pageant of possible danger. She not only sees it, but feels it whispering over her skin, as though, even when she’s fully dressed, a fresh patch of nakedness has presented itself. The very peculiar thing is that this doesn’t make her frightened; rather, it enlivens her.”

I refuse to give away as much as the publisher, but will say that Cate’s life was upended by an act of violence she could have never anticipated. (If you want more details, read the blurb). The second half of the book, Cate is still trying to keep her life moving forward, all the while dealing with what happened; its affect on her, but even more so on Cate’s relationships with the people most important in her life. The ending was bittersweet, but so well played by Anshaw. I don’t think Right After the Weather will be a book for everyone. Some might shun the violence or the quirky characters, but for those who enjoy a little grit and a story that feels very real, this is a book you should definitely read.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Atria Books (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I just hit chapter 2, and already, I'm wishing I had not started reading it..

Nothing is defined. There's no character descriptions and the writing is very jumpy.

So far 5 characters have been introduced without clarity of who they really are with exception of Neale's son. Heck, it wasn't until chapter 2 and the introduction of Neale's son that I realized Neale was a woman.

At this point, I am guessing that this is a 3-women love triangle?

Sadly, this book falls into the DNF category. (Did Not Finish)

Poetic, magnetic, thought provoking. I don't know what I was anticipating with this one, but it definitely wasn't what I thought it would be! I really enjoyed Anshaw's writing, but overall the pace was a little too slow for me. I personally wasn't a fan of the style, but that doesn't mean it isn't a wonderful novel. Just wasn't the right book for me!

This novel has so many promising things! It is the way they all seem shoved together that made the plot fall flat, and with that the novel not really appealing to read on. I loved parts of it, and still had to struggle to finish it.

The reason it did not become a dnf is mostly the way I could relate to Cate in terms of social awkwardness. Like this quote:
Table manners are just one of a list of small social concerns she should probably have sorted by now, but hasn't. Interrupting is another.
Followed by explaining how she kept over-thinking about what went wrong, and what could go better. I can do that too. I know table manners for instance, but I still am overthinking them every single time. I've always been and still am the silent one, because I cannot figure out how or when to interrupt people without being awkward. I loved this part of Cate!

The realization that it can be privilege that keeps people on the good side of the poverty line, I liked that too.

However, there were the things that were ... not so great too. Like, the ethical creepyness of Maureen was way over the line of being realistic. I mean, certain things might happen, but ... no, just no. And the whole 'Cate was straight, then had a fake straight phase before coming out'? WTF??? Like, being straight or queer is not a phase, you're not straight and then not. One or the other is fake, but it's not first the one, then the other, with a fake period in between.

All in all this has not been the worst book I've ever read, and it certainly had some good things in it. I would not reccomend it though.

Cate's been struggling to keep her head above water financially and with her love life- she's made Dana a prohibited zone and she's not sure about Maureen after a revelation. She's a set designer who has not made it to the big time- her ex-husband did and has been living off the profits of his play for years only now he's in the guest room after his latest divorce (but he did bring Sailor the dog with hi). The bright spot in her life is her long time friend Neale and Neale's son Joe-until the terrible day when Cate has to rescue her. Both their lives are split into before and after, Cate's in part because she's gotten gig in NY doing the sets for a play about Vita Sackville-West. Anshaw has created a wonderful character in Cate- she keeps missing but keeps trying. She has interspersed, at least for the first half of the novel, Cate's story with a first person narration by a man who will become important. Interesting way to introduce the character. I liked the writing, I liked the small details (Cate's very observant), I liked pretty much everything about this. I'm not sure how I've missed Anshaw in the past but I will look for her again. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC An excellent read.