A Most Anticipated Book of 2026
The New York Times • The Washington Post • Harper’s Bazaar • TIME • BBC • Parade • Seattle Times • Lit Hub • Book Riot • Booklist • BookBub • Minnesota Star Tribune • Bookpage • Forbes • SheReads
“In her new novel, her fourth, a divorced woman named Adora Hazzard is enjoying life with her teenage daughter and a ‘coven’ of friends on the same floor of her building on New York’s Upper West Side. She is not looking for love, and so Semple gives it to her, sparking events that show off the author’s trademark hilarious chaos.” –The Washington Post
“Semple blends intrigue, humor, and irony into a story that splits open one character’s life and might just inspire you to make yours a little bigger too.”
–Harper’s Bazaar
“The best-selling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette blends the sensual with the sinister in a romp through the museums and maisonettes of genteel Manhattan.” –TIME
“Now this, my friends, is what we call a romp….[T]his one’s plot has twists and turns in abundance, as [Adora] Hazzard certainly earns her last name in a series of, dare I say, shenanigans, animated always by a subtle, irrepressible joie de vivre.” –NPR
“The author of the smash hit Where’d You Go, Bernadette returns with a glittering new novel…A delightful page-turner.” –People (Book of the Week)
“Semple is great at writing women on the edge, characters with seemingly perfect lives who are secretly about to crack, so I can’t wait to see what she does with this one.” –Lit Hub
“Funny, tender, mysterious, clever…Semple entertains in every moment of this smart story of Greek philosophy and Greek statues; desire, happiness, and their opposites; and priceless midlife peace… Readers will have hearts in their eyes to see her first new novel in a decade.”
–Booklist (Starred Review)
“A love story like no other… a totally original, madcap adventure.” –Real Simple
“Semple delivers an energetic caper about a woman who gets roped into blue-blooded family drama and a potential smuggling scheme… Semple’s writing is as limber as ever… There’s plenty to enjoy in this rollicking adventure.” –Publishers Weekly
“A joyful, madcap novel, Go Gentle puts 50-something women in New York City at center stage — with philosophy, art, parenting, dark secrets, and international intrigue jostling restlessly in the wings. These ladies are far more lively and youthful than Truman Capote’s swans; it’s a new world…. There is a delightful spark in the way all the characters come alive in a Maria Semple novel.” –Boston Globe
“Go Gentle is a thoroughly fun and raucous read that richly explores the wisdom that comes with middle age and the tradeoff between being content and taking chances.” –BookPage
“In April, Where’d You Go, Bernadette author Maria Semple returns with another off-beat tale, Go Gentle, this time about a contented divorcée whose life suddenly starts to unravel.” –BBC
“From the bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette comes another thought-provoking tale about following your own path.” –Woman’s World
“This is a book by the brilliant Maria Semple, folks, so the mayhem is the most fun part…it’s an absolute blast.” –Town & Country
“Delightfully zany” –New York Post
“A touching and hilarious story…[Go Gentle] is perfect for those looking for a bit of romance, while also looking out for something that sparks positivity and creativity. It’s focused on life, and sometimes, that’s what we need.” –Parade
“A smart, emotionally sharp novel from one of contemporary fiction’s most reliable crowd-pleasers.” –Book & Film Globe
“…a wild ride of a book that’s delightful while you’re reading it and that lingers long after you’re done.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Go Gentle is Maria Semple’s first novel in a decade, and it is well worth the wait. As smart as it is funny, this is a madcap caper, a sweet romance, and a thoughtful consideration of desire all rolled into one. It’s a party in book form—the most fun I’ve had reading this year—and I look forward to talking about it for months to come.” —BookRiot
“Set against a backdrop of artistic ambition and intrigue, the novel blends Semple’s signature humor with a more introspective edge, exploring what it means to loosen control and find purpose again.”
—CityScene
“[S]pending a few days with [Adora Hazzard] may be the most exhilarating thing you can do for yourself this summer.” —Ron Charles
“Semple has created something rare in Go Gentle: a story that’s both deeply intellectual and still accessible. This novel is what happens when someone who understands trauma writes about healing. Smart, funny, and devastating in a great way. Read this book.” —Jennette McCurdy, New York Times bestselling author of I’m Glad My Mom Died and Half His Age
“Highly original and loaded with Maria Semple’s signature wit, Go Gentle takes us on a fast, wild ride through the days and nights of a philosopher for whom the meaning of life—and how to get through it—is completely upended by the one thing she never saw coming. Love.” —Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
“Manic and frank, playful and wise, Go Gentle rampages through reality, giving us glimpses into Hollywood writer’s rooms, the lives of the fabulously wealthy New York elite, art heists and philosophical debates, but perhaps most preciously it allows us to glimpse a vision of cronehood as empowering and sexy and fun. Adora Hazzard is a heroine for the ages.” —Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles
“This is the kind of book I dream of. Hilarious, urbane, touching but never sentimental and just brilliantly plotted. It’s about so many things—art world shenanigans, toxic Hollywood writer rooms, stoic philosophers, and above all, love, love, love. Maria Semple graces her readers with the intrigue, wisdom and belly laughs we deserve.” —Gary Shteyngart, author of Vera, or Faith and Our Country Friends
“I adored this novel and it made me very happy. Go Gentle combines Semple’s giant intellect, genius thinking, rich, witty dialogue and screwball comedy. Brimming with big ideas about art and philosophy and questions about the way we live our lives, this is an intricately plotted mystery, intrigue and romance with a glorious cast of characters.” —Nina Stibbe, award-winning author of Love, Nina
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