The Possibilities
What if the life you didn’t live was as real as the one you did? Hannah is having a bad day. A bad month. A bad year? That feels terrible to admit, since her son Jack was born just eight months ago and she loves him more than anything. But ever since his harrowing birth, she can’t shake the feeling that it could have gone the other way. That her baby might not have made it. Terrifying visions of the different paths her life could have taken begin to disrupt her cozy, claustrophobic days with Jack, destabilizing her marriage and making her husband concerned for her mental health. Are the strange things Hannah is seeing just new-mom anxiety, or is something truly weird and sinister afoot? What if Hannah really did unlock a dark force during childbirth? When Hannah’s worst nightmare comes true and Jack disappears from his crib, she must tap into an extraordinary ability she never knew she had in order to save him: She must enter different versions of her life while holding on to what is most important to her in this one to bring her child back home. From the intimate joys of parenthood to the cosmic awe of the multiverse, The Possibilities is an ingenious and wildly suspenseful novel that stares down into the dizzying depths of maternal love, vulnerability, and strength.
A Journey Through Motherhood and the Multiverse
Yael Goldstein-Love's "The Possibilities" is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that blends the intimate anxieties and joys of motherhood with the exhilarating complexities of the multiverse. The story follows Hannah, a new mother grappling with the trauma of her son Jack's difficult birth and the relentless fear of losing him.
Goldstein-Love skillfully portrays the emotional rollercoaster of new motherhood. Hannah's struggles with anxiety and guilt resonate deeply, capturing the vulnerability and overwhelming love that defines the experience. The introduction of the multiverse adds a layer of intrigue, prompting readers to question the nature of reality and the countless possibilities that could exist.
A Mother's Strength:
When Jack disappears, Hannah's grief and desperation propel her to unlock a hidden ability: the power to access alternate versions of her life. This quest to find her son across different realities becomes a testament to the unwavering strength and fierce love of a mother.
Beyond the Thriller:
While the suspenseful plot keeps readers engaged, "The Possibilities" offers more than just a thrilling adventure. The story delves into philosophical questions about fate, free will, and the choices we make. It explores the impact of trauma and the resilience of the human spirit.
Engaging Narrative and Characters:
Goldstein-Love's writing is captivating and thought-provoking. She seamlessly blends moments of lighthearted humor with scenes of intense suspense, keeping readers invested in Hannah's journey. The characters, despite being caught in extraordinary circumstances, feel relatable and authentic.
Strengths:
- Unique concept: The integration of the multiverse into a story about motherhood is original and thought-provoking.
- Emotional depth: The novel explores complex emotions like grief, guilt, and love with remarkable sensitivity.
- Suspenseful plot: The mystery surrounding Jack's disappearance keeps readers hooked until the very end.
- Well-developed characters: Hannah's journey allows readers to connect with her struggles and triumphs.
- Themes of resilience and hope: The story ultimately celebrates the strength of the human spirit and the power of love.
Weaknesses:
- Exposition at times: Certain sections of the book rely on dialogue and narration to explain the mechanics of the multiverse, which can feel slightly expositional.
- Balancing genres: While the novel successfully blends genres, some readers may find the transition between the emotional exploration of motherhood and the sci-fi elements jarring.
Overall Impression:
"The Possibilities" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever pondered the what-ifs of life. It is a story about the depths of maternal love, the resilience of the human spirit, and the endless possibilities that exist beyond our current reality.
Recommendation:
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy science fiction, psychological thrillers, and stories about the complexities of motherhood. "The Possibilities" offers a unique and thought-provoking journey that will stay with you long after the final page.
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Yael Goldstein-Love, Novelist 
Yael Goldstein Love, born in 1978, is a versatile figure in the literary world, contributing as a novelist, editor, and book critic. She is also recognized as the co-founder and editorial director of Plympton, a literary studio with a focus on digital publishing.
Early Life and Education:
Yael Goldstein Love was born in 1978 to Sheldon Goldstein, a mathematical physicist, and Rebecca Goldstein, a renowned novelist and philosopher. Her parents later divorced. Goldstein Love pursued her higher education at Harvard College, where she graduated with a degree in philosophy.
Literary Career:
In 2007, Goldstein Love made her mark in the literary world with the publication of her novel "The Passion of Tasha Darsky," initially titled "Overture." The novel delves into the complex and contentious relationship between mother and daughter musicians. The work sparked speculation about its autobiographical elements, but Goldstein Love refuted such claims.
In 2011, Goldstein Love, along with fellow writer Jennifer 8. Lee, co-founded Plympton, Inc., a literary studio with a distinctive focus on serialized fiction tailored for digital platforms. The studio's innovative approach to publishing aligns with the evolving landscape of literature in the digital age. Plympton launched its first series in September 2012 as part of the Kindle Serials program and introduced the Rooster app, a mobile reading service for iOS7, in March 2014.
Academic Background and Clinical Passion:
Goldstein Love's academic background extends to her clinical passion for working with individuals during the challenging period of transitioning to motherhood. Her doctoral dissertation explored the experiences of mothers dealing with anxiety about the unknown futures of their children.
Writing and Publications:
Apart from her novels, Goldstein Love has contributed her writing to esteemed publications such as The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, and Slate. Her ability to articulate profound insights and reflections is evident in her work.
Personal Life:
Yael Goldstein Love resides in Berkeley, CA, with her six-year-old son and a patient cat. While details about her personal life are relatively private, her experiences as a mother likely inform her writing on the subject.
Yael Goldstein Love's contributions to literature, both as a writer and through her involvement with Plympton, underscore her commitment to exploring new avenues in storytelling and publishing. Her multifaceted career reflects a deep engagement with the written word and a dedication to shaping the literary landscape in a digital era.
I wasn't really into the first half of the book. I found Hannah to be very manic, almost schizophrenic. I get that she has a lot of PTSD and postpartum depression, but I was getting tired of every line having Jack's name in it. We get it. You're very overprotective of him.
Once she actually started taking action in trying to get him back, I liked her a lot more. I really liked Adam42 too (and Hannah42) but not her Adam. I found him annoying.
I wish Grace and Akio had more of a part to play. I found their stories pretty interesting. Especially Akio. I didn't feel like Hannah's mother's story nor Akio's mother's story was well explained. Then the end with the mother happens, and it seemed kind of pointless?
Overall, it was okay. Definitely not something I would've normally read, so it was a good way to broaden my horizons.
TW/CW: postpartum depression, PTSD, mental health issues, child death, sort of child kidnapping, gaslighting
Part two seems to promise an actual plot where the narrator chases her family through various parallel lives. This includes an episode in a laboratory where various, irrelevant scientific terms are mentioned and the narrator is given a disturbing ride through an MRI machine.
After some references to successful sci-fi (Hitchhikers Guide, 1Q84, and 1984), the author describes the narrator ignoring the events of the novel and living happily ever after.
Ever since the birth of her son Jack eight months ago, Hannah has been on edge. Her therapist says it’s just a lingering response to his traumatic birth but Hannah isn’t wholly convinced. And on quite possibly the worst day of her life, suddenly Jack disappears and then reappears from the lobby of her therapist’s building. Was it just a hallucination brought on by a lack of sleep, as her therapist thinks? Of is it an omen of even worse things to come?
“I was a suspense writer for goodness’ sake. Fear was my mother tongue. But this level of fear right now, these past eight months, every second since the moment Jack was born. This level of fear was something altogether different, something that broke open the rules of how the world worked.”
As someone who had postpartum anxiety, it was all too easy to identify with Hannah. Parts of the book were painful to read – as I imagine they’d be for most people – but there were also parts that had me yelling “yes, that!”. While Hannah’s diagnosis was different, it cropped up in similar ways in her life. I was also part of a postpartum support group and the women there, while not the cast of characters that Hannah meets, were also a lifeline and a comfort in one of the darkest periods of my life. All that is to say that I found Hannah’s experiences of motherhood and her postpartum experience very realistic.
Hannah is a horror author but hasn’t written a word since Jack’s birth, turning down every nanny share her husband Adam has arranged. Instead she’s filled her days with the minutiae of Jack’s life, never more than an arm’s reach away, subsuming herself in the search of perfect motherhood. Any one who’s ever parented a baby – or interacted with the parent of a young baby – can probably guess how well that’s going. Since Adam’s reaction to the stress of parenting is to research and plan out everything in detail – and you can also guess how well babies and plans mix – it’s led to frustration and resentment on both sides.
My main issue with the book was the uneven pacing. The sections that were paced like a suspense novel were engrossing. The more introspective sections however had some repetetive items. Perhaps it was for lit fic fans who would be unfamiliar with the sci-fi concepts but some of their explanations felt especially belabored. The concepts themselves though, while a common sci fi trope, had an interesting spin that I enjoyed in terms of Hannah’s predicament.
“I’m so afraid,” I finally said.
Adam took one step closer.
“I know you are. That’s always when you start to ride the possibilities.”
Overall, an interesting exploration of motherhood through a sci-fi lens.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
