A Theory of Small Earthquakes

by Meredith Maran

Any woman who has fought the odds to make a happy, healthy family will relate to Alison Rose, whose redemption is at stake in this inventive, addictive novel. A Theory Of Small Earthquakes teaches us something new about love and sex, jealousy and loyalty, and, most importantly, motherhood.-Ayelet Waldman, author of Bad Mother and Red Hook Road

In her ten previous nonfiction books, Meredith Maran has trained her journalistic eye on the subtle dance between the political and the personal. Now Maran brings her provocative gaze to her debut novel a family story spanning two decades, set against the social, political, and geological upheavals of the Bay Area.

Eager to escape her damaging past and chart her own future, Alison Rose is drawn to Zoe, a free-spirited artist who offers emotional stability and a love outside the norm. After many happy years together, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake deepens fissures in the two women’s relationship, and Alison leaves Zoe for a new, "normal” life with a man. Alison’s son is the outcome of both of these complicated relationships, and the three parents strive to create a life together that will test the boundaries of love and family in changing times.

Genres: Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer Lit

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2012

About the author

MEREDITH MARAN is the author of more than a dozen nonfiction books, including Why We Write About Ourselves, Why We Write, and My Lie; and the acclaimed 2012 novel, A Theory of Small Earthquakes. She's a book critic and essayist for newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and Salon.com. The recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo, and a member of the National Book Critics Circle, Meredith lives in a restored historic bungalow in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Arwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got very annoyed with the main characters wishy-washy emotions - I needed some reason to be interested in her emotional struggles, and I had trouble finding that reason. The time shift forward 13 years was jarring. But most importantly, I am sick and tired of authors writing books to which they don't know the ending. If I wanted to decide the ending of the book for myself, I'd read a Choose Your Own Adventure. So at the end of the book, the reader is left with two very major questions, neither of which will ever be answered. Very frustrating. I gave the book 3 stars because, my annoyance at the lack of real ending and the unsympathetic main character aside, the book is well-written, it's a quick read, and it will invite great book club discussion.

[Cian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is billed as a wonderful radical queer love story about queer families, but it is anything but that. I don't recommend it at all, and I regret having purchased it. If it were framed differently, especially the PR, I might feel differently about it, because the story itself is interesting.

At its root is the narrator whose actions are driven by internalized homophobia. She builds a complex family based on lies and intentional deceit. It's the worst representation of bisexuals, chosen family, and non-traditional family structures possible. If it had been written in 1990 and billed as positive at that time, I might understand it, but in 2012 it should be recognized for exactly what it is -- a story about someone who can't come to terms with her own sexuality and who uses lies to manipulate the adults in her life to get what she wants. It feeds on so many of the myths and negative stereotypes of bisexuals and poly relationships.

While I recognize it's a story and may reflect some people's life experiences, my complaint is that this is being framed as a positive story.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about a woman who straddles the lesbian/homosexual life with a wonderful glimpse into this world. I personally didn't like the main character who I felt was narcissistic, ungrateful, and selfish with unresolved issues with her late parents relationships that she should have come to terms with. That the author is a lesbian lends credibility to the scenarios. I thought the ending was ridiculous in that it didn't conclude anything earth shattering, and while I understand the title in terms of the story, it made no sense in the ending. It's a great book club choice because the themes are controversial and there's plenty of opportunity for spirited debate.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first novel from a brilliant nonfiction writer

It seems highly unlikely that I fit the profile of the intended readership for this first novel from Berkeley writer Meredith Maran. But I couldn’t resist, because (a) Meredith is a friend, (b) she’s also a former employee (who, by the way, once termed me her “least worst boss”), (c) the book is set largely in Berkeley, where I’ve lived for more than forty years, and (d) it spans much of the time I’ve lived here, so I was bound to enjoy the local color.

Meredith’s writing — she is the author of ten previous books, both memoir and nonfiction — is distinguished by painful emotional honesty. Ask anyone who knows Meredith: she tells it like it is. Or, to paraphrase one of the characters in this novel, Meredith doesn’t do nice. She does true. Her memoirs and journalistic efforts alike dig deeply into difficult issues that tend to hide behind headlines. A Theory of Small Earthquakes is no different. And, to my mind, the greatest virtue of good writing is honesty.

A Theory of Small Earthquakes centers on the decades-long love affair of Alison Rose, a writer with many similarities to Meredith herself, and Zoe, a trust-fund baby and artist given to outrageous clothing and hairstyles and large, disturbing canvases. Ambivalent about raising children with two mothers but determined to have children, Alison falls into a lustful relationship with Mark, one of her editors. She and Mark try to raise their son, Corey, in a household that’s just about as normal as it gets in Berkeley (which isn’t saying much). At length, though, Alison and Mark draw Zoe into the family as Corey’s babysitter. The ups and downs of this sometimes awkward foursome fill the remaining pages of the novel.

The action in A Theory of Small Earthquakes unfolds against the backdrop of the colorful reality of Berkeley, beginning in the 1970s and lasting until the near-present. Meredith’s descriptions of life in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco are pitch-perfect, and when she retells the story of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, I felt the ground shaking underneath me all over again.

So, though I hardly qualify as a lesbian, or even as a person of the female gender, I found A Theory of Small Earthquakes to be delightful, unsettling, suspenseful, challenging, and very well written. In other words, a damn good read.

(www.malwarwickonbooks.com)

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth.

The Raymond Carver poem "Late Fragment" is a favorite of Alison Rose, the main character in Meredith Maran's spectacular novel, A Theory of Small Earthquakes. When Alison joins a "Feminist Transformations" seminar at Oberlin College in the mid-1980s, she finds herself immediately drawn to Zoe, a free-spirited artist who awakes in Alison the desire to be loved and protected, but also brings back memories and fears that stemmed from her fractious relationship with her mother. Alison and Zoe move to Berkeley after Alison's graduation, and they build a life together.

But when the Loma Prieta earthquake occurs in 1989, it exposes many of the cracks in their relationship, which magnified as they struggled to have a child. Alison settles into a more "normal" relationship with Mark, and they quickly have a son, Corey. Several months after Corey is born, Alison encounters Zoe again, and although she feels some initial betrayal, Zoe becomes a vital part of all of their lives, helping raise Corey and serving as a "goddessmother" counterpoint to Alison and Mark. But Alison is never completely comfortable in her life—she's never sure exactly what or who she wants, she's afraid that some of her secrets will be exposed, and most of all, she fears losing those she loves, even as her behavior often pushes them away.

A Theory of Small Earthquakes is a novel about love, family, parenthood, and being comfortable in your life, but it also is a tremendously fascinating reflection on the many different forms a family can take. While at times I worried the book might veer into soap opera-esque territory, Maran deftly keeps the story together, and at times I wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen. Some may take issue with the fluidity of Alison's sexuality, but it is clear from reading the book what motivates her most. I really enjoyed the characters, even while Alison's behavior irritated me at times, and in the end, I was moved, and truly fulfilled, by this story. This is a book for those who like to read about love, relationships, and human dynamics—I don't find this to be necessarily a "gay" novel in any way, just a tremendously well-written one.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed the author's writing style and sense of humor. I guess I was expecting this book to be about the queering of family and possibly a poly-relationship, but this is not what the book is about. Alison conceives a child (presumably) with Zoe through artificial insemination, but soon leaves Zoe for a "normal" relationship with a man and then raises the child as Mark's son, never letting her son or Mark know that the child could be the child conceived with Zoe. Alison then decides to "allow" Zoe back into her life and the life of (possibly) Zoe's child, under the conditions that Zoe is never to tell Mark or Corey about the insemination and to never tell Corey about Alison and Zoe's former relationship. Zoe becomes sort of a third-wheel in Alison and Mark's relationship and Alison gets exactly what she wants- to have Zoe and Mark in her life while not shattering her "normal" heterosexual family structure.

I still maintain that I enjoyed this book, and love that it was written by a lesbian author, but it definitely left me with a sick feeling in my stomach.

[Anna Hardesty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book and there were plenty of moments where I didn't want to put it down, but at the same time there were many qualities I didn't like. I didn't like how the author seemed to rush a lot of details. I understand there were different "parts" to the novel, but things shouldn't have been that rushed. I also didn't like how political the author got. The novel wasn't based on that and the authors political preference seemed to come out a lot while she was writing. Other than these two negative things, the novel was really good.

[Marty Selnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun for folks who live in Berkeley/Oakland area. I particularly enjoyed the timeline which begins in 1983 - a year of much importance in my East Bay life. I became involved in the journey the characters follow. I quite liked them....except for Allison, who is a complicated and interesting individual. This is a fine first novel from a writer who has written mostly non-fiction.

[Sandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am tired of all the Bush bashing. Note to author: He is no longer President; hasn't been for four years. I was so angry by the political garbage I would have tossed the book, but it is my Book Club's choice this month, so was forced to finish. She should go back to nonfiction where hopefully her writing is about true things. I didn't appreciate being described as not bright since I voted for Bush (both times).

[Ashlee Erestain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just wish I knew how it ended!

[Laurel Deloria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to be careful about which group is recommending a book. This one had a good review and an interesting title. I am glad it is a Library book and I didn't t pay for this one.
Review reads

n Rose, whose redemption is at stake in this inventive, addictive novel. A Theory Of Small Earthquakes teaches us something new about love and sex, jealousy and loyalty, and, most importantly, motherhood.”
-Ayelet Waldman, author of Bad Mother and Red Hook Road


“Any woman who has fought the odds to make a happy, healthy family will relate to Alison Rose, whose redemption is at stake in this inventive, addictive novel. A Theory Of Small Earthquakes teaches us something new about love and sex, jealousy and loyalty, and, most importantly, motherhood.”
-Ayelet Waldman, author of Bad Mother and Red Hook RoadIn her ten previous nonfiction books, Meredith Maran has trained her journalistic eye on the subtle dance between the political and the personal. Now Maran brings her provocative gaze to her debut novel – a family story spanning two decades, set against the social, political, and geological upheavals of the Bay Area. Eager to escape her damaging past and chart her own future, Alison Rose is drawn to Zoe, a free-spirited artist who offers emotional stability and a love outside the norm. After many happy years together, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake deepens fissures in the two women’s relationship, and Alison leaves Zoe for a new, “normal” life with a man. Alison’s son is the outcome of both of these complicated relationships, and the three parents strive to create a life together that will test the boundaries of love and family in changing times.

[Janice Mock · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book kept my interest long enough to get to the end, I was disappointed once I got there. I feel like readers want resolution at the end of a story, probably because that’s what I want when I pick up a book. But if you’re into cliffhanger endings, this book is for you.

I would also have to agree with some other reviews that this work isn’t necessarily as positive as billed. The main character has a lot of issues with homophobia, and those issues are never resolved in the book (in my humble opinion). All in all, while I believe the writing is of good quality, the storyline wasn’t particularly appealing. I could see it going in several different ways-all of them would’ve been better than where it ended up.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison Rose meets Zoe, a vibrant young woman who turns out to be a lesbian. At first, Alison is shy and uneasy around Zoe, but then it blossoms into something else. Zoe brings out feelings in Alison she never thought possible. One thing leads to another, and Alison and Zoe become a couple. Join Alison and Zoe as they journey through their life in the 1980s and beyond as a lesbian couple. Follow their life, their ups, their downs. Just when life seems happy and normal, a “small” earthquake shakes their core. Alison leaves to pursue a different path, but does Zoe stick around?


A Theory of Small Earthquakes had to be one of the most interesting novels I have read in a long time. I really could not put it down!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I'll start with the good points. The writing style was solid and the story was logically structured in an order that made sense. Basically the technical aspects of the book were just as they should be; even the story line itself was not necessarily bad - but the main character of this one just made me angry. Like yell at the book angry and sneer in disgust angry. I thought I would be reading an inspiring story of self acceptance during the emerging gay rights movement and beyond. I thought I would be reading a story about non-traditional family structures. In a sense, the non-traditional family structure part WAS a part of this story...but it was somewhat lost in my anger at the main character, who I interpreted as very selfish and a coward.

She could not accept being gay; she could not accept being straight; she could not even entertain being bisexual. She was emotionally stunted and cold. She wanted the best of both worlds, and did not care whose expense that came at. To be fair, that may have been the point and the original purpose of this character. I just was looking for something more touching and I didn't get that from this book.

[Cynthia Crumrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty improbable but a good read nonetheless

This was a different kind of love story. A good read but it stretched credibility. Interesting characters and situations. The ending leaves you hanging in a good way.

[Rebecca L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique Read

Can't find one fault with this book. Characters are well developed and narrative flowed smoothly from one year to the next, weaving historical events through the story. Interesting perspective.

[Bea Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

In conclusion I feel like this was a Trojan horse. A lesbain romance? nope, once she meets that man she describes her former feelings of love in the worse ways. A feminist book? nope, feminists ideals are hollow and full of false promises.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not entirely well written but an enjoyable read nonetheless

[Sheryl Sorrentino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its powerful subject matter, I thought there was something a little “off” about this novel. Perhaps it suffers from an excess of slack narrative, what with the constant back-and-forth between Alison’s sugary, “life is so great” musings interposed with her whiny, “everything sucks; I can’t be myself; the world is coming to an end” neuroses. (But, then again, as someone who regularly experiences such mood swings, I suspect this is exactly what the author intended!)

Like many other reviewers, I found the ending to be abrupt and disappointing. It wasn’t so much that the story’s central question remains unanswered; by the end of the book, that pesky detail hardly mattered anymore. By then, Alison had made her decision to remain secretive and dishonest with Mark, and she’d lived with the emotional and practical consequences of that choice for fifteen years. I actually thought that part of the story was handled effectively, as it showed how, in keeping big secrets from our loved ones, we dig ourselves into an ever-deeper hole where the sheer lapse of time compounds our ethical failure to the point where it eventually becomes infeasible to “come clean,” no matter how much we might want to. However, where the author “lost” me was in introducing a major new story line in the last 25 pages, then leaving readers hanging both as to the nature of this sudden misfortune and its ultimate outcome. After having become so invested in these characters up to that point, I simply couldn’t handle that latest dangling plot twist.

Still in all, A Theory of Small Earthquakes is definitely a worthwhile read. It contains substantial emotional subject matter and a solid (but not too “in your face”) political bent that should make any feeling person more sympathetic to the historical plight of homosexuals in this country. Fortunately, we have come a long way, as the story demonstrates. But A Theory of Small Earthquakes underscores just how recent these attitudinal shifts are, and how relatively liberal and forward-thinking folks are on the “Left Coast” compared to the rest of the country.

Speaking of which, as a Bay Area denizen, I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s heavy dose of “local color” with her many references to the characters’ Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco haunts; I practically relived the terrifying quake of ’89, which happened a few months after I’d moved here. Meredith Maran made me proud to have selected this corner of the world to call home so many years ago, despite the fact that the earth can—quite literally and unexpectedly—shift under our feet at any moment in ways big and small.

[Ilona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning book. A trio of good, giving, flawed, wonderful human beings, faced with unusual yet so-human decisions and conditions, work them out in ways that dismay, anger, and, ultimately, inspire.

The pivotal decision for the story was Alison's decision leave her first (female) partner for a man. I thought the reason Alison gave for that decision -- so as to have a 'normal' family rather than continue with the artificial insemination process she and Zoe had begun -- to be questionable. No, I found it outright fatuous, to the point of being unbelievable. I almost put the book down at this point. But then, I argued with myself, people do make decisions for fatuous reasons.

In fact, of all three characters, Alison was the one I liked least. As full of fears and neuroses -- and just plain garden-variety selfishness -- as she is, she manages to become the linchpin of this alternative trio, for reasons that suit her best. Zoe and Mark are primarily bit players in the Alison Show. And yet, for all her flaws, she's likeable.

So this pivotal decision is made by a (arguably) very selfish person for an (arguably) ridiculous reason. Once, however, I accepted that and continued reading, I was utterly enthralled.

Lies, deception, truth, honesty (truth and honesty *not* being synonymous), love, intimacy, autonomy, the human ability to learn, grow, overcome ... all of these are explored in tender and unflinching ways.

And the ending? Perfect. Absolutely pitch perfect. No, not Hollywood happy, but hopeful. Not every question is answered, but it turns out, that doesn't matter. We can move on without knowing all the answers.

I loved this book. Absolutely loved it.

[Mary Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theory of small earthquakes, we learn about a third of the way into this novel by Meredith Maran, is “the popular belief that each earthquake releases pressure on the fault line, reducing the chance of a bigger one.” It’s an apt metaphor for this chronicle of the interwoven lives of Alison and Zoe as they fall in love at Oberlin, move to Berkeley, and weather a series of seismic events, literal and figurative, over more than two decades. Their own relationship, ruptured and remade, evolves along with their activism as they participate in the sociopolitical upheavals of the 80s and 90s.

Alison and Zoe grow and change over the years in ways that are both unpredictable and authentic. I found Alison’s development to be especially compelling: she has a habit of relying on Zoe to save her, but by the end of the novel, she has figured out how to reciprocate generously and fearlessly. Through these complex characters, Maran deftly expands our notions of commitment, of family, and of abiding love.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that I ended up liking this book despite being a little ambivalent throughout reading it. Alison, the protagonist, can certainly be difficult to like at times. Her self-conscious passivity in the face of some of life's biggest decisions and moments is irritating. However, I don't think that her behavior is disingenuous to the story or real life. It is a critical part of Alison's character.

I did feel that some parts were quite rushed, particularly in the early part of the book when Alison and Zoe begin their relationship. It would have been nice to see a longer glimpse in to what brought these two women together.

That said, the later part of the book really worked for me. To me, the real beauty of it was the way the author constructed those subtle (or not so subtle) moments of happiness and heartbreak that fill the most ordinary of daily lives within any family. That was the real heart of the book.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out really enjoying this story, but then I got frustrated with it. Alison and Zoe, are an unlikely combination, that became fast friends, then after many months, lovers. There life seems quite happy, until Alison begins to worry about how others will view them as a couple. She becomes obsessed with wanting a family, but then backs away because she doesn't want to be judged.
She then meets Michael and believes all her dreams will come true.
Their relationship, though real, is built on a lie, and the lie is what lives deep within Alison for years to come. And I mean YEARS... She then befriends Zoe again, and they all seem to have a happy relationship. I thought it seemed a little odd... A little unbelievable. But it was an easy read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off terribly! I hated the first two parts out of three...I was going to give it only one star, but it did manage to redeem itself a bit by the last part. I just couldn't handle the blatant political nature of the book. I understand what you support, Meredith Maran, but you really didn't need to tout it to the whole world about a million times through your characters! I really only finished this book because I hate leaving things undone...otherwise I never would have kept reading after the first few pages.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I liked reading about my old haunts in the Bay Area, I was frustrated by this book. The story of Alison and Zoe is filled with too many everyday details. Then confused Alison -- who really needs counseling -- wants to have her cake and eat it too. She really needs someone -- whether man or woman -- who embodies all the characteristics she loves in Zoe and Mark. But no, she somehow settles. All the while, Zoe is asked to make huge sacrifices and even agrees to do something ridiculous. By this point, I was so fed up that the poor ending was just something else to add to the list.

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a very big stretch that the guy would let his girlfriend's former lover be such a big part of their lives. Yes, it was convenient to have her around to be the Auntie/Nannie to take care of the kid. But really, that's not happening in real life even in hippy, liberal San Francisco.

But this wasn't a story that resonated with me or one where I wondered about the characters later. I can't even remember the characters names and I just read this book 2 weeks ago! It got rave reviews but I didn't find it anything fantastic.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Theory of Small Earthquakes" refers to the California belief that small earthquakes disturb the fault line, and prevent larger earthquakes. This is an interesting book. Alison, the main character, has a troubled past and feels alienated from the world. At Oberlin, she meets Zoe, and the two become friends and eventually lovers. The book follows their story, and along the way the reader makes sense of it all (it's complicated). I don't want to give anything away, but this is a quick and pretty worthwhile read.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Contrived. This book felt worked over, as if it had been workshopped to death or something. I never once felt that any of these characters or their circumstances weren't mapped and planned by the author. Just didn't have any ring of truth to it. I think this author had an idea, and then tried to create a story around it. Bad move.

I'd read a few reviews and picked it up at the library, and the librarian was thrilled, told me that the author was local and a friend of hers. I returned it through the book drop outside, because I didn't want to tell her I thought it was truly bad!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book thinking it wasn't going to be very good, but by the end I really enjoyed it. Alison is a young girl growing up in feminist America in the 1970's. She meets Zoe, a lesbian who she finds herself drawn to, despite never having taken an interest in women. They fall in love and date, but then Zoe wants a baby, and it may be too much for Alison to handle. This book is about relationships, and about not being completely one sexual orientation or the other. The book had very well drawn out, likable characters, and left me wanting to finish it.

[Sue Avis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very readable - I finished it in a couple of days - but I found it a bit unsatisfying. The story of a lesbian couple who drift apart , but then come back together as friends - was a bit simplistic, I thought. I didn't find the main character - Alison - particularly appealing and the
other major character - Zoe - seemed a bit of a stereotype. It was basically a chick lit novel - with a gay bent.