Written by contributor Jeanette Zhukov
“I wonder if you ever grow up enough that the tensions and complexities abate, that you can get through one freaking meal without having to consider the lifelong implications of your every action.”
Jacqueline Friedland’s newest novel, That’s Not a Thing, is an emotionally packed narrative that examines love, heartbreak, and the rekindling of one’s life passion. Friedland’s protagonist, Meredith Altman, is a successful attorney at a cooperate law firm and is in the midst of planning her wedding with her attractive fiancé, Aaron. On the surface, Meredith seems to have it all, until one day when she has a chance encounter with her ex-fiancé, Wesley. The situation becomes increasingly complicated when Meredith finds out that Wesley has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). For Meredith, Wesley’s presence and the new knowledge regarding his current situation awakens unhealed wounds from their breakup. With memories flooding back to Meredith, she becomes unsure of her feelings and begins to question her life choices.
Told through Meredith’s point-of-view, Friedland’s expertly crafted writing style creates an increasingly relatable character that is thoughtful, compassionate, and holds a strong belief in helping others. The writing manages to create an intimate reading experience as it depicts Meredith’s inner thoughts while she struggles with conflicting and complicated emotions. As Meredith’s first-person perspective is consistent throughout, the novel also features various flashback scenes depicting important background knowledge to aid in understanding the type of person Meredith was prior to when she is first introduced to the reader.
The novel thrives in its telling of the romantic relationships. The strongest are the scenes with Wesley and Meredith. Their love was almost palpable through the page. On the other hand, while Aaron is depicted as perfect and their relationship is strong, his scenes with Meredith did not exhibit the same type of pull or addictive quality that Wesley’s did. Altogether, the relationships are realistic in that they portray the joy, hardships, and other issues that can arise from idealizing a romance.
However, romance is not the only pull in the story, the novel is focused on Meredith’s journey through a realization of self and in the refocusing of how her interests can fit within her career. The element of romance simply is the initial push that forces Meredith to begin making these realizations.
Full of other characters and side plots, there are many interesting elements that impact Meredith and make the story multifaceted. While these factors all play a role in the novel, by the novel’s end there seems to be some loose ties and unfinished storylines. Since these elements are not included by the ending, their absence seems only to solidify the point that the narrative’s main focus is Meredith. Also, while Wesley having ALS is another feature of the plot, it is important to note that the novel is not solely about the illness. Friedland approaches the topic with care and compassion, while seamlessly interweaving it as part of the narrative.
Overall, That’s Not a Thing is not only a story about romance, but a story about rediscovering oneself after experiencing the many impactful moments of life. It is a story about sadness and loss, but also about new beginnings. Gripping and enjoyable, Friedland has created a work that is hopeful and with writing that is a breeze to flow through.
That’s Not a Thing is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Meredith Altman’s engagement to Wesley Latner ended in spectacular disaster. When Wesley lost his parents in an accident, mere weeks before the wedding date, he blamed Meredith and left for an open-ended journey to Europe, breaking off their engagement and shattering Meredith.
It was Aaron Rapp, a former Ivy League football player and baby-saving doctor who finally helped lift her heart off the floor. Now a couple of years into their courtship, Aaron and Meredith have just gotten engaged, and she feels her life is on a positive trajectory at last. As they celebrate their engagement at a new TriBeCa hotspot, however, Meredith is stunned to find the restaurant owner is none other than Wesley, the man she is still secretly trying to forget.
Now that Wesley is back in the States, Meredith is bumping into him everywhere, and he clearly still has the feels for her. Before long, she learns that he has been diagnosed with ALS, and her feelings about their past become all the more confusing.
As Meredith spends more time with Wesley and is pulled further under his spell, she learns what kind of man her new fiancé really is—and what kind of woman she wants to be.
