Maybe in Another Life plot summary

Hannah Martin hasn’t been having the best luck. She’s spent the last few years meandering through different cities and jobs. She’s just broken off a truly terrible relationship, and she’s not sure where to go next. Other than maybe, for the first time in a long time, home. Hannah moves back in with her best friend Gabby, and on her first night back they go out to celebrate. But this seemingly innocuous party leads up to a decision that has far-reaching consequences for Hannah’s life.

Content warnings:

• Pregnancy
• Miscarriage
• Infidelity

My thoughts on Maybe in Another Life

Maybe in Another Life is by Taylor Jenkins Reid, who feels like an inescapable force on Bookstagram. This novel isn’t part of her extended universe, it’s a standalone story, and it’s contemporary fiction with a fun twist. On this night out that Gabby takes Hannah on to celebrate her return to Los Angeles, she runs into her old flame Ethan. They talk, they flirt, and Gabby asks Hannah at midnight whether she’s ready to go home. Will she stay out with Ethan, or will she go home with her friend? And how will her life be affected in either case?

We don’t have to wonder, because for the rest of the book we alternate chapters between the two timelines that spring from this choice.

I’m a sucker for books that play with this kind of idea. Lionel Shriver’s The Post Birthday World was the first one I came across, and more recently I read The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult which played out similarly.

A book can’t succeed on a fun premise alone, of course

Hannah is an appealing main character, arriving on page one fresh from a minor crisis. She feels a bit weird about coming back to her hometown, but she’s determined to make the best of it. This is a fresh start, and she’s going to take the opportunity to turn her life around.

Much as I liked her, the fact that she’d already decided it was time to change had its downsides. She didn’t get much of an arc across the book. Despite frequent references to her tendency to make bad decisions, the mess she’d made of life, we didn’t really see it. Characters who consistently mess up can be frustrating to read, but it does make it satisfying to see them improve. We didn’t really get that with Hannah.

She definitely had character though, and I enjoyed seeing her respond to different situations across the two timelines. Despite the two versions of her story taking radically different paths very quickly, Hannah’s core personality came across clearly throughout.

Reid puts her protagonist through a lot at the beginning of the story, particularly in one of her timelines. She doesn’t dwell on the trauma though, moving fairly swiftly on to the recovery and growth that follows. That isn’t to say the pain is glossed over or overly sanitised necessarily, just that it isn’t always foregrounded.

Maybe in Another Life prioritises its central friendship

One of the constants across both of Hannah’s lives is her friendship with Gabby. The book doesn’t over-egg this central relationship, but it makes for a lovely core element of both storylines.

Additionally, Gabby has her own storyline that shows up slightly differently in each version. I thought this was a positive addition, and just wish we’d had a little more time on it. I felt like it was a little rushed when we came across it for the second time, perhaps because Reid didn’t want to dwell on information we’d already seen. Personally, I’d have been more than happy to dedicate just as much time to the plotline second time around. Part of the fun of books like this is in seeing how the same events play out subtly differently, as well as seeing things that change more dramatically.

Minor griping aside, Gabby was a fun character, and I rooted for her just as much as I did Hannah.

Both versions of Hannah’s story have a romance element

The novel is exploring the idea of what ‘meant to be’ might mean or look like. One of the avenues for that is in the romance subplots. I liked both of these storylines in isolation, and I think when put together they paint an interesting picture.

You could read this book and come away thinking that ‘soulmates’ are bogus and people will just talk themselves into thinking the person they’re with is the only one for them. Or you could read it and decide the central message is that, no matter what happens, you will end up with the person you need to be with. When I first finished the book I felt a little unsatisfied by that, but the more I’ve thought about it the more I like it.

I was desperately trying to predict the ending of Maybe in Another Life

I try to keep this a spoiler-free zone, so I’m not going to talk specifics here! But whenever I pick up a ‘diverging timelines’ book I have one question in the back of my mind the whole time. Is the author going to somehow bring these two storylines back to a single ending?

The Post Birthday World, much like most of Lionel Shriver’s books, ends with a fairly bleak scene that serves as the culmination of both versions. It’s a tidy way to finish a book that’s spent so long with a foot in each timeline, but there’s a certain bleakness to it. And the implication about the futility of choice and lack of agency doesn’t help!

The Book of Two Ways isn’t as depressing in its conclusion. Instead it goes for a more ambiguous ending that fits either narrative. I understand this as a route, but it felt like a cop-out when I got to the end of the book.

Maybe in Another Life takes a different route with its ending, and I won’t say anything about it except that I think it’s really in keeping with the themes of the novel.

The book is fundamentally optimistic, despite some heavy topics and moments. It’s a surprisingly sweet story with a lot of heart. Probably not my favourite Taylor Jenkins Reid book – despite the two storylines, it feels like it lacks some of the depth of other novels by her. But it was a fun read, particularly once you get past the first third where some major tragic things do happen.

Have you read Maybe in Another Life?

I’d love to know what you thought – particularly about the ending! Feel free to let me know in comments. And if you want to recommend any more TJR books, I know I’m open to reading more.

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