About the Book
"Soul medicine for the smartphone weary... Life-affirming. Brilliant."
--Matthew Quick, New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook
From the acclaimed author of A Room Called Earth comes an addictive new novel about finding yourself in a world obsessed with staying connected.
It's Valentine's Day, and twenty-something Camille is on her way to work. Exhausted and cramping, stressing about having to face another day under the glare of her controlling, passive-aggressive boss, she realizes, too late, that she's forgotten her phone.
Her panic is instant--no scrolling; no messaging; no escaping reality--and now she faces an hours-long commute with no relief and no distractions.
But as Camille gets closer to the city, her gaze turns inward. She thinks back to how she first met her poet boyfriend Manny; she remembers her dreams of opening her own floral designing business. And, gradually, the world around her becomes a wonder waiting to be rediscovered.
With glittering wit and wry humor, The Knowing dramatizes a day in the life of a young woman who goes to work as usual while dreaming of more.
About the Author :
Madeleine Ryan is an Australian writer, director, and author. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, SBS, Vogue, The Daily Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Vice. She is currently working on the screen adaptation of her first novel, A Room Called Earth. Madeleine lives in rural Victoria.
Review :
"The Knowing leaves the reader thinking about why we are addicted to our phones, and how we can better interact with the world as nothing more than our human selves."
--Booklist
"Soul medicine for the smartphone weary. Modern-day fears and eternal longings are fashioned into an astonishing, one-of-a-kind literary bouquet. Timely. Unflinching. Life-affirming. Brilliant."
--Matthew Quick, New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook and We Are the Light
"The Knowing is a pacy novel. Ryan has great control over the rhythm and momentum of the short chapters through which it progresses, which makes the ever-increasing pressure on Camille all the more palpable ... The Knowing is a visceral and sensual novel that is very much concerned with what it means to be a body in the world, and the ways in which we might attend to its pleasures and demands. It is deliciously funny--mostly because of Camille's sharp, wry wit, which is always tempered by her slight awkwardness--and deeply empathetic. A distinctive, assured work."
--Fiona Wright, The Saturday Paper
"The vignette-style chapters address timely topics such as capitalism, feminism, burnout, addiction, work culture, relationships and women's bodily autonomy ... offering a thought-provoking exploration of self-discovery and the complexities of modern life."
--Kate Dunphy, Books+Publishing
"Full of effortless humor, all-too-relatable moments, and a metaphysical realization regarding first-world problems, The Knowing is an easy, addictive read about womanhood, relationships, social media, and body image ... Ryan speaks to the reader in a way that makes you feel seen, heard, and truly understood."
--Aurelia Orr, Readings
'Ryan's prose zips along at a giddy pace -- it's whip-smart, original, full of wit and glass-sharp observations, and Camille is hilarious, sparkly company. The Knowing is a timely, absorbing, fun, and acutely observed study of human nature.'
-- Julia Kelly, The Irish Times
"An unfiltered exploration of a young woman's inner world ... Her inner monologue is self-critical yet self-assured, insightful yet repetitive, making for a protagonist who is deeply human ... An ambitious novel that will resonate with those who appreciate introspective, character-driven narratives."
--Lisette Drew, ArtsHub
Praise for A Room Called Earth:
"This debut novel by an autistic Australian woman charts the lively mind of its neurodiverse young heroine."
--New York Times "New & Noteworthy Books"
"An ordinary night is made totally new through the eyes of the neurodivergent author in this honest debut."
--Elle
"[T]he interior monologues are vibrant and revealing. Ryan succeeds in capturing neurodiversity on the page."
--Publishers Weekly
"Ryan's novel covers less than 24 hours, but by book's end, readers are left feeling remarkably bonded with this fiercely independent young woman ... Her piercing insight is relentless."
--Booklist
"[M]uch of the novel's appeal comes from its illustration and examination of the narrator's blunt perspective on life and specifically social interaction ... Ryan's ability to convey her narrator's unique perspective makes it a worthwhile read."
--Kirkus Reviews
"[A] novel that beautifully shatters myths and stereotypes about people considered neurodiverse while celebrating their differing perspectives on life."
--Shelf Awareness, STARRED Review
"In the vein of Virginia Woolf, the narrator's incisive commentary pierces through descriptions of quotidian affairs ... A Room Called Earth, written by a neurologically diverse author, culminates in unexpected intimacy, not only between the narrator and her new friend but also between the reader and an extraordinary mind."
--BookPage
"The freedom to experience the narrator's inner world makes room for objective reality. Melbourne's neighbourhoods come alive ... [A Room Called Earth] culminates in unexpected intimacy, not only between the narrator and her new friend, but also between the reader and an extraordinary mind."
--Mari Carlson, Book Page
"Debut novelist Madeleine Ryan is also on the autism spectrum, and it is an absolute joy to read about this night through her eyes--where the protagonist's thoughts can't always match her actions, and where connection is all that matters. A Room Called Earth's greatest strengths are its simplicity and honesty."
--Bitch Magazine
"Twenty-four sparkling hours in the life of a neurodiverse woman on a night out to a party."
--The Millions
"A resolute deep dive into an inner self, a transcendent character study, and a timely reminder that there's an entire universe inside of everyone we meet. You will be moved."
--Matthew Quick, New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook
"A daring, prismatic novel about seeing and being seen, and the hunger for universal connection. Madeleine Ryan's clarity of vision imbues the ordinary--a party, strangers, inner-city streets--with cosmic significance. I came out of A Room Called Earth with fresh eyes and a full heart."
--Laura Elizabeth Woollett, author of Beautiful Revolutionary
"In prose filled with humor and warm light, Madeleine Ryan unearths the bright, luminous soul of each animate and inanimate being she encounters. Instead, remarkably, it is the self shaped by and against social norms that is met as an other. The result is an intelligence that feels not only totally refreshing and original but wonderfully humane."
--Meng Jin, author of Little Gods
"Offers a strikingly unique look at intimacy, identity, and time itself. From now on I want every novel to be this fiercely authentic, this assured, this untethered from the status quo. Madeleine Ryan is a wholly original writer; this debut announces a tremendous talent."
--Kimberly King Parsons, author of Black Light
"An honest narration of human experience and how our whirling minds perceive the world. Sensual, raw, real and down to earth."
--Katie Hess, author of Flowerevolution
"Extraordinary ... The dazzling directness of her prose opens thrilling new doors into the female experience of the sexual, spiritual, and social worlds ... The smart, magical voice Madeleine Ryan has found in A Room Called Earth is unlike anything else you'll find this year."
--Helen Brown, The Independent
"A Room Called Earth is intoxicating: a heady rush of sensuality and passion ... A Room Called Earth becomes a rich pleasure: lyrical, sumptuous and saturated with insight. As a debut novel, A Room Called Earth is enigmatic and entirely refreshing. Madeleine Ryan is a writer to watch."
--Georgia Brough, Books+Publishing
"A Room Called Earth is visceral and voluptuous ... The book is a quiet celebration of holding dear to the space within yourself and if you look beyond your skin, how earth itself can bring comfort and wonder."
--Thuy On, The Sydney Morning Herald
"A delicious slice of life on the spectrum ... rather than pandering to a pathologized external gaze, Ryan's narrator evokes how many autistic people see ourselves: the normal ones in a sea of non-autistic weirdos."
--Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times
"Instead of keeping us at arm's length, Ryan's narrator allows us to loiter in her brain the entire time, with no feelings or thoughts off-limits. What unfolds is an act of radical generosity. It's less unfiltered stream of consciousness and more a continuous hum of deeply flawed, compassionate, curious, unpredictable thoughts that reveal a neurodivergent worldview."
--Nathania Gilson, The Saturday Paper
