Book Review: "How to Sleep at Night" by Elizabeth Harris

At a time where the tiniest thought of politics is enough to make me cringe, I chose to read a book that had a political campaign at its core. And I really enjoyed it, so, yay me!

Ethan and Gabe have been together for years, since Gabe was a senior in college and Ethan was a few years older. They’re happily married, raising a young daughter named Chloe. Politically, Ethan has becoming more conservative, while Gabe has remained progressive all these years.

One night, Ethan tells Gabe he’d like to run for Congress—as a Republican. He believes that being gay, married, a former Democrat, makes him an even more appealing candidate. But he’ll only run if Gabe agrees, so of course, Gabe supports his husband’s ambitions.

Meanwhile, Ethan’s sister Kate—a political reporter for a newspaper—longs to regain the passion for, and fulfillment with, her job. But two things—her brother’s nascent political campaign and the return of Nicole, a woman she loved in college—threaten to upend her. And Nicole, bored with her suburban life and her passionless marriage, tempts Kate with a second chance at romance.

As Ethan’s campaign gains momentum, Gabe starts feeling more and more out of sync with his husband’s ideas. He hates the fact that everyone seems to assume he feels the same way as Ethan about the issues of the day. This cognitive dissonance causes more tension in their marriage and the campaign.

This was tremendously compelling from the very start. I’ll admit I didn’t find any of the characters all that sympathetic, but I was completely invested in their lives, and wondered just how Elizabeth Harris would tie everything up. What a great debut novel!!