Books: "How to Sleep at Night," By Elizabeth Harris

 

How to Sleep at Night

By Elizabeth Harris

William Morrow; hardcover, 304 pages; $28.99

Elizabeth Harris is an award-winning reporter at the New York Times who covers books and the publishing industry. How to Sleep at Night is her debut novel, a compelling intertwined story about political divides within families, keeping marriages alive, and deciding who you want to be.

The book opens with an introduction to Ethan and Gabe, who have been devoted to themselves since they were in their early twenties. They both have successful careers, an adorable daughter, and a house in the suburbs in New Jersey. 

They might have slowly started to differ on politics, but their marriage still has its spark. That is tested when, one night, Ethan makes a shocking announcement. He is interested in running for Congress as a Republican, and he will only do it if Gabe, a staunch progressive, gives his blessing. 

For weeks, Gabe struggles between supporting his husband's dream and sticking to his own lefty ideals. He can feel himself being pulled under the tide of Ethan's political ambitions, even if he becomes known widely as a conservative spouse.

Then, there's Nicole, who is a suburban mom in a nearby town. She is going through the process of what happened to her younger self, who lived in New York City, freely dated men and women, and was on a path to a career in the art world. 

Nicole is bored and frustrated, feeling like an accessory in her husband's life and she is seeking something to call her own. One morning, she found it, as an old flame re-enters her life out of nowhere - Kate, who is Ethan's sister.

Having reached the top of her profession, Kate is a political reporter at a major newspaper. Her career is at the center of her life, but the adrenaline rush that comes from chasing down a story has losts its thrill.

When the woman who broke her heart, Nicole, sends her a DM just as her brother starts his congressional run, Kate's life is thrown into a tailspin that threatens to derail all that she has achieved.

It is a fascinating read to see where these weaving stories lead, as it delves into romantic and sibling love, ambition, monogamy, and the ways in which identities evolve over time, a perfect encapsulation of this moment in time.

In this excerpt, Ethan tells Gabe of his political apotheosis, "Ethan sat down next to his husband at their dining room table, took his hand, and then told him something terrible.

'Gabe,' he said. 'I want to run for Congress.'

'That's great, angel,' Gabe replied. He was grading a stack of tenth-grade history papers, and he wasn't sure how seriously to take this.

Ethan had been interested in politics since they met, back when they were still routinely carded buying alcohol. Ethan was twenty-four at the time, working in the office of the New York State attorney general, a vicious thug from a dynastic Democratic family. Gabe was a twenty-one-year-old college student, and he fully believed that Ethan could become president of the United States one day, the way he believed the most beautiful theater major at his small liberal arts school would eventually win an Oscar. But life marched along. Ethan went to law school. They got married. They had a kid.

'There's an open seat,' Ethan continued, his gaze steady. 'And I had a call today with a political consultant.'

Oh. Maybe this was serious. Gabe could feel a ribbon of panic rising in the back of his throat.

'Okay,' Gabe said, drumming his thumb against the table.

'The guy who's held the seat for twenty-eight years is retiring,' Ethan said. 'It's a little south of us, but you don't have to live in the district to run for Congress, only in the state.'

Gabe tried to breathe while counting to ten. 

'The candidates who are going to run hold useless local offices, and most people in the district have never heard of them. So if I come in with a bunch of advertising, really flood the zone, it sounds like I've got a shot.'

Twenty. Maybe he should count to twenty.

'It's a reliably Republican district,' Ethan said, standing up from his chair to pace the room. 'And it's going to stay that way.' 

There it was.

Ethan had always been to Gabe's right politically, and twenty years ago, when they started dating, that was fine. Gabe was so liberal there wasn't much room on his left anyway. And even when they disagreed in theory, they still rooted for the same team: They both voted for Democrats. Ethan worked for a Democrat.

But over time, Ethan's views had shifted. Slowly at first, like a shadow tilting in the afternoon sun. As he became more conservative, the overlapping ground between them narrowed. Today, there was almost nothing left.

'And it'd be an interesting story,' Ethan continued, striding from one end of their dining room to the other. He was six foot four, and his long legs carried him across the space in just a few quick steps. 'At least a couple of news outlets will be curious about a gay Republican who used to be a Democrat. It's  the future of the conservative movement, with Black conservatives and gay conservatives and immigrant conservatives. This is what the Republican Party should be!' He was gesticulating now with his long fingers spread wide. Was he giving a stump speech in their dining room?'

Ethan noticed that Gabe wasn't speaking.

'Honey?' Ethan sat back at the table. 'What do you think?'

Gabe felt like he was trying to breathe into a plastic bag. 'I'm - I'm not sure,' he said slowly.

'Look, I won't do this if you don't want me to,' Ethan said firmly. 'It's not just my life, I recognize that. It's also going to put you in the spotlight.'

Gabe gave him a smile, the muscles of his face drawn more tightly than he would have liked."