SAN ANDREAS ISLAND

Costello’s debut novel explores the stress of a marriage through the eyes of a thoughtful wife.

Jelina King is a woman at war with herself, battling her belief that she’s failing her family and her resentment toward her husband for his irresponsibility and insensitivity. When she and Dylan were dating seven years ago, he lavished her with romance and care. Now, a series of career changes has drained their savings and caused them to amass student loan debt, and Dylan shows little motivation to find a new job. Instead, he spends hours on the computer and stays out all night, drinking with his friends. Meanwhile, Jelina works full time as a therapist, and in her off hours, she maintains their house in coastal California and takes care of their 4-year-old daughter, Lily. In addition, her phone is constantly bombarded by texts from her estranged father, who, she feels, failed to protect her from abuse by a relative. The constant stress has broken her down; at one point, she even has a panic attack during a patient’s session. Lily, meanwhile, suffers from severe shyness and frequent urinary accidents. One morning, an emotionally exhausted Jelina rear-ends another car. Its owner is a tantalizingly beautiful woman named Natalia. The chance meeting transforms Jelina’s life, as Natalia helps her realize a powerful truth: “You deserve to be happy.” Throughout this novel, Costello shows a deep understanding of human psychology, resulting in characters that seem startlingly real. The prose is expressive and well-paced, with descriptions of settings that blend seamlessly with Jelina’s thoughts. Although her state of mind occasionally makes her an unreliable narrator, her perspective is often moving. The romance that blossoms between her and Natalia seems inevitable from their first meeting. However, its development is mesmerizing and drives the narrative’s positivity. The conclusion effectively emphasizes the inherent instability of life.

An uplifting read about the difficulty of leaving an unhealthy situation.