A woman is told by her husband that he's having an affair and is leaving her. Shortly after, she starts having a pain in her chest that could be heartbreak but it's actually a tumor. So she decides to name the tumor Maggie, just like the woman her husband is leaving her for. This was a short and easy read despite the hard situations it deals with. I found it so sad that she decides to deal with her cancer treatment alone, besides her best friend Darlene, to try to keep a normal life for her two children during the divorce. In the end, I liked how she was on the path of healing, both from the heartbreak and the cancer.

It sounds like the beginning of a classic joke...

...but it actually signals the end of a marriage.

What she thought would be a lovely dinner out with her husband Sam is instead the night he told her of his affair with a woman named Maggie. What she thought was a perfect life, with a successful husband, two children she adores, and a nice home is disrupted when Sam announces his intention of leaving her. What she thinks is the physical manifestation of her breaking heart turns out to be breast cancer. Suddenly she must deal with a divorce she doesn't want, a frightening illness, becoming a single mother, and connecting with the Chinese heritage she has set aside for so long. With her best friend Darlene supporting her she must summon the strength to confront her challenges, and does so with humor and a strength she didn't know she had until she needed it.
Here is the story of a woman who has thrust upon her two unwanted and unanticipated events, either of which on its own would be devastating; the convergence of the two could fell anyone. But it is far from a depressing tale; the first person narrative is interwoven with humor as well as heartache, There is a bit of stream of consciousness to the narration, a style which is not to everyone's taste, but in a way it matches the narrator's life (and as such her state of mind) at this unusual time, jumping around a bit from topic to topic rather than following a logical sequence. The characters are developed with warmth and empathy, even the unfaithful husband and the "other woman". The depictions of a marriage that has run its course, of doing one's best to be a good and loving parent, of the strength found in women's friendships and of reconnecting with the heritage set aside in a person's search to fit in to another culture all ring true. The main character is far from perfect, and is in fact lacking in self-confidence, yet she doesn't let the grief over the collapse of her marriage nor the shock of a scary medical diagnosis conquer her. The novel, like its leading character, also isn't perfect...there is an unevenness in development of themes, and not everything receives the closure a reader might desire...but it has a charm derived from the humor and hope that are contained within the covers. Readers of authors like Nora Ephron, Ann Patchett and Alison Espach should give this story a try, as should anyone who enjoys a well-told character-driven story. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for allowing me access to a copy in exchange for my honest review.

When the story begins, our unnamed narrator confesses to everyday insecurities. Her children seem more enthusiastic during story time when her husband Sam puts his own spin on things, placing characters and plot twists in books where they don't belong. She fears they're more enamored with their father when she notices them mimicking his idiosyncrasies.

We quickly come to find that she has much bigger concerns when Sam confesses to an affair, leaving her just as she discovers a lump that may or may not be cancerous. She decides to name that lump Maggie, after her husband's new girlfriend.

In honor of our narrator's fixation with making lists,
I'm going to make one of my own:
-Sam sucks for being fickle and selfish
-Everyone needs a friend like Darlene
-The narrator shows more grace than I ever would
-I wanted the narrator to stand up for herself more
-Myths woven throughout provide necessary respite
-Love this story, even though it kinda broke me

This book was a million things in one.

Sad, but funny.

Deep, but light.

Reflective, but also fantastical.

It definitely wasn’t for me, but I did appreciate it.

It was definitely one of the most unique books I have ever read, and I read about 200 books a year.

The protagonist is suddenly, and unexpectedly, facing a divorce, when her husband tells her he has met someone else, and is leaving her.

Almost at the exact same time, she finds out she has cancer.

This book is about grief, but it’s also about moving on. It’s about motherhood, divorce, and friendship.

My favorite part of the book was the stories that were included from mythology and Chinese tales.

For a debut this is stellar, it was beautifully written, but I enjoy more structure to my stories, and at times it just felt like rambling thoughts.

I recommend this book to those who like reflective stories that focus more on the characters, and less on a plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Katie Yee, and the publisher, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

From the start, I adored this novel. The narrator, a Chinese American woman, learns that her white husband has been having an affair with a woman named Maggie. Shortly after, she learns that she has breast cancer. On the surface, this sounds nothing but tragic, but Katie Yee captures the very human, sarcastic, dark humor of it all with a wittiness that I related to tremendously. Some of the thoughts and reflections of the narrator could have been pulled from my own head. I would absolutely be friends with her, though she already has an amazing bff. For those who thought it was unrealistic that the narrator wasn't more devastated, I would say that sometimes bad news feels very... mundane? Some people cope in ways that may be unfamiliar to you, but that doesn't make it wrong. I would add that there may have been a cultural element that led some people to miss the point. In any case, I loved this and look forward to seeing more from the author!

This will absolutely be one of my books of the year! I had heard a lot of hype and was slightly concerned going in that it might be overblown, but it only exceeded my expectations. The narrator immediately drew me in, and I could have listened to her voice forever. I don’t say this lightly - the Nora Ephron comparisons are apt. My second favorite character was Darlene; I could have read a whole book about her as well. The children are also really well done - deployed brilliantly, I thought. I cannot wait to see this book have all the success it so richly deserves.

This book honestly caught me off guard. I went in expecting something extraordinary, but I didn’t realize how sad and vulnerable it would feel. The unnamed main character experiences the most life altering changes one can possibly go through while also having to raise children, but there’s this quiet heartbreak running through the whole story that really stuck with me. The representation of Asian American women in this book was prevalent and powerful. Overall this book was a 4 star and I definitely would recommend to others.

Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee (book cover is in image) tells the story of how our narrator deals with the grief of loosing her husband and a cancer diagnosis. Weaving heartbreak and humor into her narrative, Lee is able to cover themes of grief and identity in a series of vignettes.

Choosing vignettes to deliver her story, felt disorientating and jarring as a read, and thought that this may have been better suited written as a narrative. It was very hard to connect with the characters, and I believe this was more because of the structure chosen for the books vs the the writers capability.

Thank you @simonandschuter, @summitbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 2 Stars
Pub Date: Jul 22 2025

#MaggieoraManandAWomanWalkIntoaBar
#KatieYee
#SimonandSchuster
#Summitbooks
#yarisbooknook
#NetGalley

The narrator in this novel learns her husband is having an affair and is leaving her, shortly before also finding out she has breast cancer. As difficult as this is, it also stirs up memories of her mother's breast cancer journey. We are in her head as she manages these life changes and I missed that when I finished the book. I really loved this character, especially her relationship with her best friend as a a daughter and mother. Though this deals with heavy topics like grief and identity, it is told with such warmth and humor. I also really enjoyed the Chinese folk stories she tells the kids as bedtime stories. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. 4.5 stars.

It was a tad exhausting to be inside this character’s head, to be honest. This was a quick read but I didn’t connect enough with her enough to appreciate going through all of this with her. Not bad, not good, just not for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Summit Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Katie Yee. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

A man and a woman walk into a restaurant. The woman expects a lovely night with her husband. Instead, he tells her he's having an affair with a woman named Maggie. Then she finds out she has breast cancer and decides to name the tumor Maggie.

First, how could you not want to read a book with this title? And that cover? I really loved this quiet, introspective novel as the narrator (unnamed) walks through her new life as a single mom and breast cancer patient. But the best part is it never goes into the blaming, hating, nasty way it easily could, but instead she deals with her feelings internally, with humor and sadness, and with only one close friend she relies on. She even goes so far to make a list for Maggie (the woman) of things she should know about her husband. She acknowledges the good in her husband, his abilities as a father, even while she is hurting. She talks to Maggie (her tumor) as she learns to live with her. And there are beautiful Chinese folk stories told to her children at night, passed down from her own mother. All the stars for this book - highly recommended!

This book is told through a series of vignettes, which gives it a dreamy, fragmented quality. While the writing style is engaging, the story felt like it was constantly in motion without ever truly arriving anywhere. The lack of a clear narrative arc left things feeling unresolved by the end. I found myself wishing for a more solid timeline, rather than the frequent jumps and non-sequiturs used to fill out the main character. It wasn’t bad—I finished it—but it didn’t quite stick with me either. Ultimately, it felt more like a character sketch than a full story..

Absolutely terrific. The unnamed narrator (for whom names are important) is coping with both impeding divorce and breast cancer with the help of her best friend. Her husband takes her to dinner to tell her that he's having an affair with Maggie and then moves out to one of homes owned by his incredibly wealthy parents so of course when she finds the lump, she names it Maggie. This hits themes of mothering, racism, classism, and so much more as she navigates her new normal. Note that she never tells either her kids or her soon to be ex about her diagnosis. She's got a terrific voice and is keenly observant about so many things both big and small. She's snarky in spots but never too much and it's never, oddly, bitter about her circumstances, just sad. It's funny, it's sad, it's poignant and I'll bet some readers will see themselves in her. I found myself wrapped up in her life and turning the pages. It was so much more than I expected. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A wonderful debut and a read I highly recommend.

4 ⭐️. a raw narrative following a women headed through a divorce and navigating a cancer diagnosis, all while trying to be present in her "normal" mom duties.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster | S&S/Summit Books & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short novel about a woman going through a divorce. The plot was good, but overall, there was a lack of emotion that made it hard for me to connect.

A wonderful original novel a book that reads like a memoir told through the voice of a woman whose husband suddenly tells her he is having an affair and wants a divorce.At the same time she is diagnosed with breast cancer.Surprisingly this is not a depressing novel but a well written thoughtful look into the mind of this character.#netgalley

This is very different from what I normally read, and I really enjoyed it. The narrative is written as though I was reading someone’s diary or their stream of consciousness. I was engaged with the MFC life throughout the novel and interested in how she was dealing with major life events. I appreciated her dark sarcastic humor as she dealt with divorce and cancer. I found the ending hopeful. I loved how the MFC applied myths, fables, and Chinese folklore to her own life and situations.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

I just loved the way this novella told the story of a woman who was left by her husband for another woman named Maggie. Then adding insult to injury, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Definitely a topic that can be quite morbid. But the way the author writes about it is with humor and creativity. It's a quick read capturing her thoughts about things that happen once her husband leaves and how she handles her feelings to do with her life, their two children and her relying a lot on her amazing best friend. It's more like vignettes than a single cohesive story and I am a big fan of that style. If you've read Goodbye Vitamin, it's like that. Very well done! very short and a little quirky.

I seldom regret the time spent in the pages of a book or resent the sleep lost, but I do today. I guess I am just so disappointed. I was so excited to read Maggie; or a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee. So excited about it that I picked it as a Book of the Month selection even though I have an advanced digital copy and read it right after it arrived. I was so sure I would love it. I did not and I don’t really think that will be a wildly unpopular opinion once the book comes out on July 22.
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The first line was fun, it drew me into the story. Not too far in the author quotes an old joke I loved when my kids had told it, then things fell apart for me.
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What I did NOT like:
*I had zero sympathy for this woman whose husband has an affair and she finds out she has cancer. I don’t even know her name.
*The story is fragmented and the timeline seemed a mess.
*Most importantly, and this is my major complaint, the main characters seemingly detached attitude about her cancer even though she named her tumor Maggie and talked to it, seemed harmful. Avoiding the doctor, the unrealistic timeline between diagnosis and surgery/ treatment, too tidy cancer depiction seem dangerous in a time when early detection and prompt treatment are known to save lives.
*The husband is a boring, entitled, idiotic jerk.
*The MC doesn’t have a job and it appears she has no concerns over finances with divorce and it is never addressed-unrealistic divorce scenario.
*so many holes and no depth
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What I DID like:
*great supportive best friend
*imaginative tales, Chinese myths and unfunny, funny jokes throughout
*MC has amazing children’s book ideas
* I had a friend who named her tumor, that was relatable
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It is, thankfully, a short book, written in a stream of consciousness style that can be good if done well. I am not one to tell anyone not to read a book. This has some great reviews, just not from me.

I featured Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar [cannot get over this title] in my July 2025 new releases video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5JWYTfUVq4, and though I have not read it yet, I am so excited to and expect 5 stars! I will update here when I post a follow up review or vlog. I also got this as my BOTM option!