The Most by Jessica Anthony
The Most
by Jessica Anthony
Literary | Historical Fiction
144 Pages
Released July 2024
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I admit, when I first picked up this book I thought it was going to be about a death (it’s not) and that took me a hot second to recover from. But once I got into the story, I was quickly hooked anyway. I could have easily finished this in a day but decided to savor this one instead.
This book follows a suburban couple during a very unusual and pivotal day in their life. It’s a strangely warm day in Delaware in November and while her family goes to church, Kathleen decides instead to take a dip in her apartment complex’s pool. She then refuses to get out. The former tennis star-turned-housewife reflects on the decisions that lead her to this moment and as tensions mount between her and her husband, Virgil, the cracks of their marriage start to show.
At under 150 pages, this book is a very quick, yet thought-provoking read. It’s a very-character driven book that, at times, reads almost more like a biography. The story follows a married couple, Kathleen and Virgil, over the course of a very unseasonably warm day in November. For reasons she cannot quite explain, Kathleen decides to shirk her motherly/homemaking role, favoring instead to spend the whole day in her apartment complex’s pool.
This book has great atmosphere, and you can quickly tell that this moment has been a long time coming - a breaking point of sorts. In ways, the story feels a little voyeuristic. It examines the history of two very flawed but realistic characters during a pivotal moment in their relationship - one that resulted from choosing practicality over their heart’s desires.
I really enjoyed the unusual parallel between a game of tennis and real life. Sometimes predictable, other times shockingly vulgar, Anthony does a great job exploring the complexities of human nature and how our choices can lead us to inevitable moments in our lives. I don’t think this book is for everyone, but if you enjoy novellas or heavily character-driven novels, I highly recommend this.