Vermeers, Vikings, and Very Bad Decisions: I Loved This Book

Amy Poeppel's Far and Away is that rare thing: a deeply satisfying, full-vacation out-of-genre read.

This week: just one book. Go get it and start it now, or make it the one book for your carry-on or long weekend travels, because this is one to settle in and savor.

Y’all may remember how much I adored Amy Poeppel’s The Sweet Spot. Her signature ability to throw together dramatically different people (ages, cultures, beliefs, desires) who either already love and tolerate one another or are going to figure that out is fully at work in the equally wonderful Far and Away. Lucy and Greta’s lives implode in opposite but equally chaotic ways that lead them to swap houses—one in Berlin, and one in the very-familiar-to-me Dallas suburbs, and watching them navigate each other’s worlds (and baggage) is both hilarious and moving.

It’s hard to find a novel that can balance the perspectives of not just the women at the center of the story, but their husbands, kids, and neighbors, without losing narrative clarity. The multi-generational points of view add texture, stakes, and a reminder that our choices ripple outward in ways we don’t always see, and watching all the characters gradually come together is deeply, deeply satisfying as everyone changes, not in some magical, overnight way, but in the kind that feels earned. As Lucy and Greta trade cities, cultures, and even a little trauma, they’re forced to rethink their assumptions about strangers, about family, and who they think they are versus who they want to be.

Books that are fun but not shallow, smart but not pretentious, and packed with characters you want to yell at and root for in equal measure are also hard to find. It’s not a thriller, it’s not a romance, it’s not fantasy… it’s just a BOOK. A good one. One you can either gobble down or stretch out that fits right into a book bag or a bedtime reading habit.

Highly recommend. Especially if you’ve ever dreamed of swapping lives... or running away from your own.

What’s the last thing you read that ticked your “I just need a good BOOK” box?