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Body Language

Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26
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Three adult sisters are faced with their mother’s provocative last request in this clear-eyed and moving novel exploring choice, change, and power in the bodies and lives of four different women.

Sloane, a former actress now working as a therapist, is determined to find a meaningful way through menopause, away from marketing schemes, possibly with the aid of psychedelics. Her sister Laurel is managing her own growing rage and restlessness while engaging in work at an environmental non-profit and raising teenagers. Nanette, the youngest, has answered a long-delayed religious calling and is living as a Novice in a convent. All three lives will be further disrupted when Sloane receives a call summoning her to their mother’s house, Laurel discovers possible evidence of her husband’s infidelity, and Nanette finds herself in the middle of a media frenzy after a spontaneous act of public prayer.

Soon, all three are reunited under their mother’s roof, and no one can seem to agree about anything beyond the Barbara has dementia, as did her mother and sister before her. Will it be an opportunity for the closed door of their very private mother’s inner life to crack open? A lesson in care; a shared responsibility that will be the making of this family, divided by large age gaps, parental divorce, and temperament? Or will a stunning revelation upend not only their mother’s remaining time, but divide the sisters permanently?

With razor-sharp prose and undeniable humor, acclaimed author Meg Howrey brings an American family in the midst of a painful crisis to unforgettable life, interrogating memory and emotional inheritance, the right of a woman’s autonomy, and the indelible bonds even the most disparate of sisters can share.

304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 1, 2026

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About the author

Meg Howrey

5 books447 followers
Meg Howrey is the author of the novel They're Going to Love You, and the novels The Wanderers, The Cranes Dance, and Blind Sight. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, The Harvard Review, Vogue, and The Los Angeles Review of Books. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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5 stars
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4 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Eliza Pillsbury.
375 reviews
Want to Read
March 31, 2026
I haven't been this excited for a release since I was 11 years old (waiting for the last book in The Selection series of course)
Profile Image for Sophia Eck.
746 reviews249 followers
Read
July 2, 2026
Three sisters, not unlike the Karamazov brothers in their defining characteristics (more on this shortly), all simultaneously take a trip home to take care of their aging mother who is suffering from dementia, to further consider the implications of this illness and more deeply discern their mother’s state of mind (and concurrently their own.)

These three sisters, individually and collectively, subtly evoked in my mind the identifying characteristics of the three Karamazov brothers: Sloane being Ivan (singular, searching for meaning), Laurel being Dmitri (headstrong, speculative), and Nanette being Alyosha (innocent, devout). “Sloane pointed at Nanette, Laurel, and herself in turn. “Virgin, Mother, Crone.” She said. “No, I’m the crone,” said their mother. “I’m the crone.””

Staying in the same house for the first time in years, the sister’s conflicting personalities and varying senses of themselves make this uncertain time for their family even more complicated. As they spend time with their ill mother, finding out more about how much their separate relationships with her ranged, their joint pieces of the whole picture paint a conclusive piece much different and surprising than they imagined. Personally knowing someone suffering from Alzheimer’s currently, a lot of the behaviors exhibited by their mother were very recognizable and felt sadly very real, which may be something to note before reading if that could be potentially triggering for you. I do wish the novel would have been a bit more evenly distributed with its attention, and wish it had given a more comprehensive picture of each of our characters and each of their stories, and maybe prioritized overall cohesion more than humor or whimsy, though I did appreciate that it had some humor to balance out the dense subject matter. The novel overall does well in exhibiting the ways in which we can be ropes to eachother, to hold onto or use as an aid to get to our next places in life, as well as an example of the ways that something can feel like the end of the world, and yet the world goes on.
Profile Image for Juliet Izon.
Author 1 book77 followers
June 3, 2026
I’ve been waiting for a new Meg Howrey since 2022 and this did not disappoint. A master class in dialogue, character development, and how to depict what happens in the quiet spaces between life milestones.
Profile Image for Jacey.
160 reviews12 followers
June 29, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for providing me with an ARC of this novel. Overall I’d say this novel sat around a 3.7-3.8 for me. More than a 3 but less than a 4. It might not sit with me for years and be memorable but I highly enjoyed it and found the characters well-developed and relatable in their own ways. I appreciate the tenderness but humor when appropriate that Howrey brought to the characters. One of my expertise as a therapist is working with caretakers and many of the caretakers I work with are caring for adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s. I find this book gives a wide range to the ways that someone could be navigating the challenges of this and what to do. Sloane approaches it therapeutically, Nanette religiously and Laurel approaches it as a Mom to concisely pick my perspective. As a 35 year old woman, I also appreciate a novel that has older female characters at different stages in life with Barbara in her end years and Laurel and Sloane being perimenopause, it was refreshing. Aging is complex and I really felt Sloane spoke about this in such a raw way.
I appreciate how we got thorough contextual factors about them from the past and the present, but sometimes the chapters felt disjointed, which I feel is some of the most common critiques I’ve seen about this novel. I didn’t totally mind it, but at times I felt it could’ve been more smooth. I don’t particularly need a plot based novel, but sometimes I was curious what the author was doing with this writing style. I felt a lot of of the character arcs came with about 20% left of the novel where I like when character arcs are maybe at the latest 70% of the novel so that way we can see how it unfolds from there.
I could see how some people would be perturbed by the ending of this novel, but I don’t mind it at all. I appreciate how it was open and I’m not the type of person that needs clarity. While there is some clarity it also ends swiftly, I appreciated this.
Overall I would recommend this book to the right person, maybe not everyone.
Profile Image for Lori.
505 reviews88 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
July 12, 2026
"Body Language" is told across the rotating perspectives of a family of four women: Sloane, the eldest of three siblings, works as a therapist, still holding onto her past as a failed actress and is dealing with the looming prospect of menopause. Laurel, the middle child, has become a devoted mother mother while juggling her work at an environment nonprofit, but soon comes to suspect her husband of infidelity. And Nanette, the youngest, has entered the convent as a Novice nun, and soon finds herself at the center of public attention after she's filmed protesting gun violence. The siblings have lived apart for years, but are drawn back home to Illinois after receiving a call about their mother's worsening dementia - and her informal caretaker flees with her car.

All under the same room, the family has to confront the reality of their present while also having to contend with the memories and emotions of their shared pasts, including being abandoned by their father who left after having an affair. I appreciated that the novel gave fairly equal time across all sisters, and also included their mother Barbara's perspective as well. We come to see just how different each of these women are from each other, evident in not only their differing life paths but also their characters, and see them evolve over the course of the story as well. It's a classic story of a family splintered and then brought together - one that I would typically embrace - but as with "They're Going to Love You", I struggled with the writing. Much of the novel feels like a lot of telling, versus showing, and the sentence structure and prose feels limited and terse at times.

I think for those who've come to enjoy Howrey's writing, this will be welcomed in September 2026, but is not one of my personal contemporary fiction novels.
Profile Image for Kate Connell.
483 reviews13 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 30, 2026
A classic adult siblings navigate the fraught ties that bind them together novel. While I found each sister interesting, some more bearable than others, I wish there was a bit more to round out the storylines. 3.5/5

Sloane is a former semi-failed actress who has pivoted to become a therapist and is looking into psychedelics as a way to navigate menopause. Laurel is working at an environmental nonprofit, juggling raising teenagers with concerns over whether her marriage is failing. Nanette, the youngest of the three sisters has finally answered her religious calling and is living as a novice in a convent. When Sloane gets a call summoning her to their mother's house, Laurel finds proof of her husband's potential infidelity, and Nanette has a spontaneous act of public prayer that goes viral, the three converge upon their mother's home to help her navigate her late-stage dementia.

The three sisters couldn't be more different, and it becomes apparent that they don't agree on next steps for their mother either. Their mother, Barbara expected this for herself after watching her mother and sister face down the disease, and long ago shared her plans for when it became too much with her favorite of the three. Sloane deals with her own sense of lost identity, her interest in the neighbor, and her sense of authority within the group. Laurel must face the way she indirectly helped her father hide his affair as a teenager, and wonders if her child is doing the same now. Nanette wonders whether God spoke to her, and what she is meant to do with what she heard. Simmering resentments, family secrets, and menopausal hormones erupt as the three deal with their own issues and attempt to help their mother.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
72 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
June 16, 2026
This was my first book by this author, so it may just be her writing style, but I found this book to be far too chaotic and disjointed. It felt like a ride through an ADHD brain where every couple pages, SQUIRREL!

The central premise and heart of the story, 3 sisters coming home to care for their mother suffering from dementia, was incredibly well written. Unfortunately, that story was surrounded by very random, drawn out plot points involving the three sisters’ lives (past and present) that were constantly taking me out of the story and had me thinking “get on with it already”. I’m guessing the intention was a standard character driven story, but it was too disjointed and jarring for me to enjoy.

Some of the chapters, like one with the sister becoming a nun at a gun range, were so very long and tedious that I felt like I started skimming the paragraphs to get to the next part. I never want to feel like that in ANY novel, because it usually means I’m headed for a DNF. It also really bothered me that an actress turned life coach was trying to obtain illegal substances and diagnose/medicate her mom. I’m not sure when casual drug use and practicing medicine without a license off of “research” became such a common thing, but it’s a no for me. Also, the sister with the marriage issues? Those chapters were so uncomfortable and awkward. Are there people who actually communicate so robotically like that? It was weird.

Overall, the central story was fantastic, it was just too bogged down by the massive number of tangents the author went on. In all honesty, I think this book is more a 2 star read, but I’m giving it a 3 because the main plot deserved a better rating.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.
Profile Image for Matt.
486 reviews33 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
June 11, 2026
There’s nothing like family — the singular ecology that sees, understands, protects and uplifts you while irritating, provoking, disappointing and misunderstanding you. In her latest triumph Body Language, Meg Howrey doesn’t merely write about family so much as she magically transports the reader into the complex weather system the exists between adult sisters Sloane, Laurel and Nanette as they come together to try to decide what to do about their mother, Barbara, who is showing clear signs of dementia and has a distressing request.  Howrey masterfully crafts these characters and the precise emotional and psychological valences that exists between them with warmth, depth and humor to create a rich exploration of responsibility, personal autonomy, care and love. If I had to deliver one message to Body Language, I’d merely evoke the title of Howrey's previous — also wonderful — novel: they’re going to love you.
Profile Image for Magen  Guidry.
12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
May 8, 2026
I enjoyed Body Language overall, even if it wasn’t a total standout for me. Meg Howrey’s writing is thoughtful and emotionally perceptive, especially when it comes to family relationships and the complicated realities of aging and caregiving. The dynamic between the sisters felt believable, and there were a lot of small, quiet moments that carried real emotional weight.

The story is definitely more character-driven than plot-heavy, so the pacing can feel slow at times, but I appreciated how reflective and honest it was. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you emotionally rather than relying on big dramatic moments.

While I wanted a little more resolution by the end, I still found it moving, well-written, and very human. A solid read for fans of literary fiction centered on family, memory, and complicated women.
Profile Image for Jaycie Birdwell.
159 reviews1 follower
June 8, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is definitely my favorite book by Meg Howrey (so far). All four women are expertly crafted characters, different and complicated yet strong and entwined. I personally connected with and felt seen by Laurel's character the most, though to me she was definitely giving "eldest daughter" energy (but I guess I'm biased). I also felt personally connected to the plot as a whole as someone who has seen what disease can do to someone you love and has questioned the morality surrounding end-of-life care. Overall, this was a thoughtful and entertaining novel, and I will definitely be reading more of Howrey's work!
Profile Image for Ryan Brandenburg.
158 reviews16 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
July 20, 2026
“Body Language” by Meg Howrey is a wonderfully written story about family and grief.

Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Barbara, the family matriarch, brings together her three adult daughters to convey her final wishes. The narrative traces and examines each woman’s relationships—both with their mother and with each other.

This unique premise drew me in immediately, and Howrey’s elegant and simple prose is very easy to get sucked into. The story has a lot of depth, but it was carefully constructed in bursts of information. I was easily able to finish this in one single day.

This drew comparisons to Blue Sisters, a favorite read of mine a few years back,

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the advanced copy. This book releases on September 1, 2026.
155 reviews
May 30, 2026
I've never read a Meg Howrey book, but I loved this. It was well written. I loved the complicated relationships each sister had with one another and with their mother. Each sister was very different from one another and it made sense that there were some resentments/jealousies/issues within their relationships and that they had such vastly different views on how to help their mom and if they wanted to respect her last wishes. This was a very character driven novel and its one I will be thinking about for a while.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Madeline Church.
777 reviews191 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June 29, 2026
Meg Howrey is a must-read author in the literary fiction genre. If you are a major litfic reader, I definitely think you need to look into her work. Her ability to translate the characters, their feelings, and connections onto the page is unbelievable. I adore her writing style, and I find it very sophisticated. Every character in this book is so intriguing that you want to learn more. As a woman, I found this to be a very enlightening read with the themes.

Thank you NetGalley, Doubleday, & Meg Howrey for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Body Language is released on September 1, 2026!
Profile Image for Allie Cho.
352 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
May 24, 2026
This is the ARC i've been most excited to get and I was soooo glad I did!

Meg Howrey is so good at capturing the complexities and tenderness in family relationships and does it with love and humor even with some of the saddest topics.

They're Going to Love You is still my favorite and I wish I felt a little more resolution at the end but I definitely think anyone who liked that / enjoys character driven books ab complicated women (me) would like this.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY this is basically why I signed up for ARCs
Profile Image for Shannon.
26 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June 30, 2026
Body Language was a slow burn for me. I struggled to get into it but by the end I was glad I stuck with it. Laurel was my favorite sister to read and I honestly could have enjoyed the book just from her perspective. that aside, i think the author did a really great job of capturing and portraying the nuances of the different sisters and their relationships with one another and their mother. the book took an interesting turn that i didn’t expect and I only liked it more as i kept reading!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Profile Image for Alyce.
73 reviews
June 17, 2026
My heart 😩 loved everything about this book, even though it had me weeping at the end. LITERALLY wept. I really appreciate when an author can capture nuance in grief and make the reading experience feel so personal. I don’t know how else to sing praises of this book. I just adore it.

Won in a giveaway and I really feel like it was meant to make its way to me. 5 billion stars. Graham crackers and icing for life.
Profile Image for Maggie Wilson.
31 reviews
June 27, 2026
This book was a disappointment for me, considering that the themes were right up my alley and I enjoyed They're Going to Love You.

I found most of the characters somewhat insufferable. I connected with Laurel the most, but I found Sloane's obsession with her perimenopause to be tiresome. Nanette's story was the most unique, and I found her experience finding religion quite interesting.

The core premise of the story is certainly one worth exploring. I found the way the three sisters reacted differently to their mother's declining memory and the struggle to determine a care plan quite realistic. However, the story just moved so slowly, and I felt there was really very little true plot.

Overall, this was a miss for me!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Nina LaCour.
Author 26 books6,172 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
June 24, 2026
Meg Howrey has given us yet another gorgeous novel. (How lucky are we?!) I loved getting to know these three very different adult sisters and witnessing them coming together in their mother's house at a time of crisis. Body Language is raw and complex and so deeply human. The surprises and revelations kept coming in the most satisfying ways. The attention to bodies--from adolescence to perimenopause to end of life--moved me deeply. Engaging and profound!
Profile Image for Abby.
151 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
May 30, 2026
This book was wonderfully written, and the character development was top notch. I adored the interweaving stories of these three sisters at an inflection point in their lives. It reminded me of the film Three Sisters, which I also loved. This one is sure to be a hit, particularly with women.
Profile Image for Jami.
Author 12 books1,887 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
April 26, 2026
loved obsessed loved!
Profile Image for Sarah Langan.
Author 51 books1,001 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
May 19, 2026
Reading Howrey is always a new adventure. She never picks the same theme twice. And I’m here for it, because it’s smart and beautiful every time.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews