Maggie; Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar

Maggie; Or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee 

A darkly funny, emotionally raw debut about heartbreak, illness, and identity—perfect for fans of Jenny Offill, Nora Ephron, and Rachel Yoder.

When a woman walks into a restaurant expecting dinner and samosas, she doesn't expect to find out her husband is cheating—with a woman named Maggie. Soon after, an ache in her chest leads to a second blow: breast cancer. She names the tumor Maggie, too.

Told in sharp, poetic fragments, Maggie; Or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee is a bold, intimate debut that transforms pain into humor, heartbreak into healing. As the narrator navigates the dual betrayals of illness and infidelity, she writes a “User’s Manual” for her husband to help Maggie (the other woman) understand him. She reimagines her children's bedtime stories through Chinese folklore, reconnecting with her heritage as she reclaims her life, one devastating, beautiful moment at a time.

With echoes of Dept. of Speculation and Heartburn, Maggie is a fearless portrait of grief, resilience, motherhood, and the strange ways we try to make sense of our bodies, our relationships, and ourselves.