Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee

Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee

Katie Yee's debut album Maggie, or if you'd like to use its full title, Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar was published in July of 2025. Since then, it has been named one of Time's 100 Must-Read Books of 2025 as well as a New York Times Notable Book. It's also been called one of summer's best beach reads in a slew of publications including Harper's Bazaar, The Washington Post, and ELLE. The shortest book I've read so far in 2026, it is also one of the easiest despite some of it's more upsetting subject matter. It deals with cancer and infidelity, divorce and mentions of pregnancy.

The unnamed narrator deals with all of the changes in her life with a combination of humor and mythological stories (both Greek and Chinese). First her husband announces that he's having an affair with a woman named Maggie and he is planning to move out. Shortly thereafter, she finds a lump in her breast and is told that she has cancer - she names the tumor Maggie. Watch as the narrator navigates this new life she had thrust upon her as she deals with the news of her new diagnosis with a lighthearted view.

I've had this book tagged to read since it first came out, long enough that I forgot what the back cover said. So when I started it, I handled the affair pretty well. But when the narrator feels the lump my mind said only one word on repeat: "ABORT!". But I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. Because of the way the book is written, almost as if it was a stream of consciousness memoir, the bite is taken away from most of it. The narrator finds a way to deal with these tender subjects the only way that she can manage - by joking around and poking fun. She does have a few moments where she lets higher emotions through, but you do not live in the moments with her, they are told to you from a later time. The narrator is very likeable, so is her best friend. Her husband is...not but he's also not someone you hate. The story isn't really about him anyway, it's about finding a way forward. I would say that the book is quite fast paced but it doesn't feel rushed. It's more of a sporadic journal entry. You don't know how much time has passed but you can tell it's been a while.

I'm giving Maggie by Katie Yee 4 stars out of 5. I enjoyed it a lot. It isn't for everybody, there's no action or suspense - just a calm retelling of events, but it was a very quick read that I'm happy I stuck with.

For more from Katie Yee, check out her website at https://www.katieyee.net/

Pairs well with mango sorbet and taking a closer look at the trees around you.

My favorite quote:

"He moves through the world with an obliviousness that I mistook for optimism."