Ilana has an enviable job at the opera house, a committed relationship, and a cozy Greenwich Village apartment, but the questions inside of her are growing insistent. Is it due to her scientist boyfriend’s research on how people make their decisions, or is she suffering suppressed grief from the death of her mother? Adopted as an infant, she becomes curious about who she would be if she’d grown up in her birth home. Has she ever freely chosen anything at all? When Ilana learns that her birth mom owns a pub upstate, well, what harm could there be dropping in furtively for a drink? To see, just to see. What begins as curiosity about her choices evolves into a traumatic shift in her world. She loses control of her life. And then, chaos.
This is a novel about unconscious decision-making and the illusion of free will.
Published by Koehler Books, in print October 2024.
Does your mind wander? Where does it go without you?
Lost In Thought
“Compelling, unexpected, and also heartbreaking. This novel captured me.” -Delia Ephron, screenwriter, author Left on Tenth
“Lost in Thought is a masterclass in psychological fiction. It's a story that resonates on a profound level, and I haven’t read anything quite like it.”
-Rekha Rao, Goodreads
“A profound and skillfully written novel of lives inexorably changed by truth-seeking, and the power of love and forgiveness.”
-Elizabeth St. John, critically acclaimed author of The Lydiard Chronicles
“I'm in awe. This story will stay with me. This is a powerful experience that will leave the reader full of compassion and questions about how much we really need to know about where we belong and the emotional upheaval that will result. Not to be missed.”
-WendiReviews, Goodreads
“This book is about a character navigating matters of self-control and real choices it is an interesting hybrid -- a cross between sheer storytelling and storytelling where the impact of a scientific idea is profound and underlies the entire work. It is gripping.”
-Patricia S. Churchland, Author, MacArthur genius grant recipient, Professor, Neuro-philosopher
“This is among the best books I have ever read. The language is beautiful and the story will have you on a roller coaster of emotions from the beginning.”
-Netgalley, Susan K