About the Book In a single day, Cat finds out that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably creepy. The culture of striving has caught up to her family -- and Cat doesn't handle it the way a middle-class mom is supposed to. Book Synopsis A dark, satiric novel about a woman whose attempt to escape crises in her health and marriage ends up causing more chaos.
Cat's career has stalled, her marriage has gone flat, and being a stay-at-home mom for two young kids has become a grind. When she finds out, all within a few days, that she is pregnant, that a lump in her breast is the worst thing it could be, and that her husband has done something unforgivably repulsive, she responds by running away from her marriage and her life -- a life that, on the outside, looks like middle-class success. Her actions send waves of chaos through the lives of multiple characters, including a struggling house cleaner, a rich and charismatic yoga guru, and even an ailing dog. What follows is a dark comedy about marriage, motherhood, privilege, and power.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
Review Quotes
I knew this book was going to be funny and sharp but I had no idea how devastating it was going to be.
-- "Amy Jones, bestselling author of We're All In This Together & Pebble and Dove"
Succession-level family dysfunction. Whitlock invites readers to witness Cat's destruction, and boy are we along for a ride.-- "The Miramichi Reader"
With a lightness of touch that compares favourably with Tom Perrotta, Whitlock proceeds to explore heartbreaking reverberations caused by iffy motivations, rash decisions, and self-interested actions. Literarily,
Lump is a captivating performance.-- "Toronto Star"
With wit and empathy, Whitlock skirts the simplicity of a villains-versus-victims narrative and instead gets at larger, more significant issues of power, privilege, freedom, and responsibility.-- "Quill & Quire, starred review"
A deftly crafted, entertaining, original, and memorable novel.-- "Midwest Book Review"
To paraphrase Mo Willems, if you EVER find yourself in a Nathan Whitlock novel, LEAVE!! But reading one, as opposed to being a character, is a lot more fun. His latest,
Lump, traces a downward spiral that went lower than I believed it could, which is why I was so gripped.-- "Kerry Clare, author of Waiting for a Star to Fall"
Lump is a wonderfully dark comedy, a look into marriage, motherhood, class, morals and privilege. It's smart, funny, and one of my favourites for the year thus far.-- "David, bookseller at Words Worth Books"
Lump is a dark exploration of marriage, parenthood, illness -- and how trying to control the uncontrollable can lead to even more destruction. Whitlock's approachable writing style makes this heavy story a breeze to read.-- "Rachel Matlow, author of Dead Mom Walking"
An unflinching look at the limits of denial, Whitlock's latest will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure. I couldn't put it down.-- "Julie S. Lalonde, author of Resilience Is Futile"
In
Lump, things fall completely, often hilariously, apart for a seemingly perfect Toronto family. With a keen eye and plenty of verve and humour, Nathan Whitlock peels back the facades of a cast of urbanites to reveal messy truths, ugly appetites, and highly questionable decision-making.-- "Elyse Friedman, author of The Opportunist"
Lump is both a page-turner and a disquieting and complex take on marriage, illness, and privilege. Whitlock is wry, smart, and never boring.-- "Zoe Whittall, author of The Best Kind of People"
Parenthood, money, marriage, illness -- everyday mini-tragedies morph into snort-worthy comedy when put under Nathan Whitlock's microscope.
Lump drives in shivs of self-recognition on every page, along with lines you'll want to share with the stranger sitting next to you on the subway.-- "Andrew Pyper, author of The Residence"
Whitlock possesses a strong command of language and easiness with metaphor: his characters are drawn evocatively.-- "Booklist, for A Week of This"
You might call Nathan Whitlock's sense of humour the gallows kind: he readily locates the brutal and exposes its ridiculous underside.-- "Winnipeg Review, for Congratulations On Everything"
About the Author
Nathan Whitlock is the author of the novels
A Week of This and
Congratulations On Everything. His work has appeared in the
New York Review of Books,
The Walrus,
The Globe and Mail,
Best Canadian Essays, and elsewhere. He lives with his family in Hamilton, Ontario.
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