Agatha Arch Is Afraid of Everything

By: Kristin Bair

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

Agatha Arch's life shatters when she discovers her husband in their backyard shed, in flagrante delicto, giving the local dog walker some heavy petting. Suddenly, Agatha finds herself face to face with everything that frightens her...and that's a loooooong list.

Agatha keeps those she loves close. Everyone else she keeps as far away as possible. So she's a mystery to nearly everyone in her New England town. To her husband, she's a saucy no-B.S. writer. To her Facebook Moms group, she's a provocateur. To her neighbor, she's a standoffish pain in the butt. To her sons, she's chocolate pudding with marshmallows. And to her shrink, she's a bundle of nerves on the brink of a cataclysmic implosion.

Defying her abundant assortment of anxieties, Agatha dons her spy pants - a pair of khakis whose many pockets she crams with binoculars, fishing line, scissors, flashlight, a Leatherman Super Tool 300 EOD, candy, and other espionage essentials - and sets out to spy on her husband and the dog walker.

Along the way, she finds another intriguing target to follow: a mysterious young woman who's panhandling on the busiest street in town.

It's all a bit much for timorous Agatha. But with the help of her Bear Grylls bobblehead, a trio of goats, and a dog named Balderdash, she may just find the courage to build a better life.

©2020 Kristin Bair (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Dear Agatha,

Oh, Agatha. I love you. I really do. I love your word-smithing, your spy pants, your brokenness, your goats, and your want. I want to be there for you during this awful time in your life. But...

You reminded me of my friends Eleanor and Bernadette - they really struggled with mental health problems in a satirical way and ended up staying true to what was important to them throughout their stories.

I feel like you just dove straight into your crazy and neglected the rest of your life (when did you write? why weren't you with your kids more? did you feel shame in pursuing random men so aggressively?)

In the end, your fears weren't really addressed, but you learned the virtue of true friendship.

That sincerely makes me smile and I was so happy to see you on the road to wholeness... but, I think you could've done so much more to bring some serious attention to anxiety and trauma without making it out to be a punchline.

P.S. your take on FB mom's groups is spot on 🙌


-Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

-Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

audio version: Soneela Nankani was versatile yet distinct. Definitely a narrator I'll look for again!

Annoying

I found the protagonist to be so frustrating and annoying. I wanted to see her grow but she really didn’t. She didn’t learn from her mistakes, she blamed everyone around her for everything wrong in her life. She’s mean, rude, and irresponsible. Disappointing.

Hilarious.. Yet serious , Current yet Timeless !

My first time reading this author and LOVE her ! New favorite ! So many current themes woven into those timeless worries of motherhood and relationships! Bravo ! And for the “love of Big Papi” , and if you like Liane Moriaty stories as I do , try this one !

Hysterical book

I needed this book this week! So funny! The FB mom’s group comments were just hilarious!!

Spot On Suburban Hilarity

As one who listens largely to literary fiction, Agatha Arch Is Afraid of Everything is a most welcome distraction. Chock full of the flavor of suburbia, complete with an almost eerily familiar FB Moms group, this listen offers up a heartfelt and hilarious look at what comes together when everything else falls apart. From stink bugs, to goat yoga, and regular visits to "Shrinky Dink," Bair's writing and Nankani's narration quite literally bring it all home.

Just say No to this

DNF rare for me not to tough it out. The most annoying book I have attempted to listen too, ever!