Grace has everything she could ever wish for. Her husband is a pediatric oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, her son, Henry, studies at one of the most prestigious private schools of the city, and Grace, herself, a therapist who primarily works with with women who are trying to mend their broken marriages. She’s a few weeks away from the publishing of her very first book: You Should Have Known.
In her book, Grace claims that women do not listen to their instincts concerning men and marriage; they should have known from the beginning that he was going to cheat, that he didn’t care for them the way he should. After just a few dates, she says, you should know if someone is a right fit for you. If you make excuses when you feel that something is off, then you are the only one to blame for the failure of your relationship.
But after a tragic event and the disappearance of her husband, Grace realizes that she failed to follow her own advice. Everything she ever worked for is compromised.
Why we loved it? At first, Grace seems to be living the perfect life: perfect husband, perfect marriage, perfect child, and perfect school. She is very hard to like, in fact, she’s a bit irritating. But when the plot starts to unfold, the story snatches you; it’s hard not to sympathize with Grace.
About the author: Jean Hanff Korelitz is a native New Yorker. You Should Have Known is her fifth novel, after Jury of Her Peers, The Sabbathday River, The White Rose, and Admission. The big screen adaptation of Admission was released in 2013.
Get You Should Have Known here.
-Marine Bigand
