Mrs. March

Experience acute anxiety from the inside, and the consequences of an unchecked spiral.

Once I finally had the time to sit down and read this book, I finished it so fast. Mrs. March, whose first name we never learn, is defined by her relationship to others and how she feels she is being perceived by them. She feels eyes and judgement in every moment, often even in her own home. As the story progresses the reader comes to understand some of the roots of her anxiety— an anxiety that is so acute it impacts every move she makes— deep in her past, events which she has barely processed or not dealt with at all. The depiction of her spiral from self conscious and tense to startlingly anxious is equal parts disturbing and hypnotizing. The ending came so swiftly and without warning I found myself flipping through the acknowledgements in shock, wondering if that really was it. I suddenly felt I needed someone to reach over and close my open mouth from a shades pull beneath my chin, like surprised characters in old cartoons. The book ends without answering just enough questions to keep the story on your mind for days to come.
Mrs. March would be recommended to readers who enjoy shows like Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, and books like Mona by Pola Oloixarac and For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing.