Taking Up Life in Both Hands by Tim Greaney absolutely tickled my funny bone. This sharp satire takes aim at politics, the healthcare system, the legal world, and the 2024 election cycle, delivering both humor and bite.
In his acknowledgments, Greaney writes, “This is a work of fiction. That means it’s made up… It’s also a satire, which, when done right, makes fun of people who have earned more than a little ridicule.”
Bravo, Mr. Greaney.
The title, drawn from a poem by W. B. Yeats, sets the tone for a story that follows Claire Flannagan, a plucky young lawyer who lands a position at a firm representing the largest nonprofit hospital system in the country. The system is Catholic and was once guided by its founder, the eccentric and principled Sister Ursula.
Sister Ursula, of Irish descent, brings a literary sensibility to her work, influenced by her agnostic father’s love of Irish literature. Claire begins to suspect she was hired as much for her Irish background as for her legal skills, with the assumption that she would naturally align with the institution’s Catholic identity. Meanwhile, her ambitious boss has his sights set on becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services in the next administration.
As Claire settles into her role, she grows increasingly uneasy. It appears she may be little more than a strategic buffer, meant to placate Sister Ursula while the firm pursues financial interests that diverge sharply from the hospital system’s original mission of serving the poor and indigent.
Greaney clearly had a great deal of fun writing this novel, and that energy carries through on every page. Though relatively brief at just over 240 pages, the book delivers a pointed and often hilarious critique of greed, ethics, and institutional hypocrisy. What makes it especially effective is how closely it mirrors real-world tensions within our current social, political, and healthcare landscape.
Thank you to NetGalley and Koehler Books for the advanced e-copy.
Expected publication date: June 16, 2026.