4.0 (1 rating)
Clementine Crane Prefers Not To
For fans of Maria Semple, Clementine Crane is a one-woman whirlwind, managing every aspect of her family’s life—until she hits her breaking point. In this quirky and heartfelt novel, author Kristin Bair explores family, community, and womanhood with sharp wit and keen insight. Clementine Crane has a few things on her plate: She keeps the peace, picks up the slack, and always puts everyone else first. But when her first hot flash strikes, perimenopause sends her into a tailspin. Between a husband who can’t navigate a revolving door without her, three kids who treat her as their fixer, and a career stuck in neutral, Clementine begins to wonder: When is enough enough? Overwhelmed and fed up, Clementine takes a stand—one small refusal at a time. She goes on strike, ditching obligations, setting boundaries, and venting her frustrations on social media. When her raw, hilarious, and unexpectedly poignant videos go viral, Clementine finds herself at the heart of a movement she never saw coming. Clementine can’t stay on strike forever, but can she let a few things fall through the cracks—before she cracks again? Speaking to the emotional, and often invisible, labor that so many women bear, Clementine Crane finally asks: When does it become too much?
Published: October 14, 2025
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781639101115
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4.0
1 rating
Carla B.
Feb 8, 2026
Clementine Crane Prefers Not To is a sharp, funny, and surprisingly emotional look at what happens when a woman finally stops being everything for everyone else. Clementine has spent her entire adult life juggling invisible labor, keeping the house, the job, the kids, and her husband from spinning out, and it’s not until her first hot flash hits that she realizes just how much she’s been holding together.
What I loved most is how real Clementine feels. She’s messy, tired, sarcastic, and deeply human. Her “strike” starts as exhaustion but evolves into something bolder: a reminder that self-respect isn’t selfish. The book never slips into preachy territory; it just shows how burnout can make even the strongest person snap and how freeing it can be to finally let some plates drop.
Kristin Bair writes with warmth and wicked humor, especially in the viral video scenes where Clementine vents to the world. Those moments made me laugh out loud, then tear up two pages later. I also appreciated how the novel handled perimenopause with honesty and without stigma. It's rare to see that stage of life explored so openly in fiction.
By the end, Clementine’s journey feels like a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever felt unseen or overextended. It’s not just a midlife crisis story; it’s a story of reclamation. If you’ve ever wanted to put up an “out of service” sign and take back your sanity, this book will make you feel seen.
I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley and Alcove Press. All opinions are my own.
What I loved most is how real Clementine feels. She’s messy, tired, sarcastic, and deeply human. Her “strike” starts as exhaustion but evolves into something bolder: a reminder that self-respect isn’t selfish. The book never slips into preachy territory; it just shows how burnout can make even the strongest person snap and how freeing it can be to finally let some plates drop.
Kristin Bair writes with warmth and wicked humor, especially in the viral video scenes where Clementine vents to the world. Those moments made me laugh out loud, then tear up two pages later. I also appreciated how the novel handled perimenopause with honesty and without stigma. It's rare to see that stage of life explored so openly in fiction.
By the end, Clementine’s journey feels like a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever felt unseen or overextended. It’s not just a midlife crisis story; it’s a story of reclamation. If you’ve ever wanted to put up an “out of service” sign and take back your sanity, this book will make you feel seen.
I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley and Alcove Press. All opinions are my own.