A Study in Angst

This tome dives deep into the inner workings of the mom in a newly growing family, her push/pull feelings of profound devotion to her son while navigating brittle post partum (?) depression. The protagonist, Julia, meets someone who begins to fill the voids in her soul, and she spends more and more time alongside this older, seemingly wiser woman who appears to have it all together. When her connection to the family brings her opportunities she ends up regretting, there are consequences. This book felt very, very real, as if the author herself has grappled with some difficult topics. While the book kept me reading, it wasn't any kind of "feel-good" experience. Plenty of angst and good-old family-style miscommunication to really muddy the waters. Also, I take issue with the blurb on the back cover, as the "friend who almost ended her marriage" most decidedly did not do that. It was a choice that Julia made herself. I kept thinking of that line throughout the book, and have to say it rankled with me. The author is a really good writer, if this is your kind of story.