The Interruption of Everything

By: Terry McMillan

Narrated by: Desiree Taylor

"Being a lifetime wife and mother has afforded me the luxury of having multiple and even simultaneous careers: I’ve been a chauffeur. A chef. An interior decorator. A landscape architect, as well as a gardener. I’ve been a painter. A furniture restorer. A personal shopper. A veterinarian’s assistant and sometimes the veterinarian.... An accountant, a banker, and on occasion, a broker. I’ve been a beautician. A map. A psychic. Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. The T.V. Guide. A movie reviewer. An angel. God....For a long time I have felt like I inadvertently got my master’s in How to Take Care of Everybody Except Yourself and then a Ph.D. in How to Pretend Like You Don’t Mind. But I do mind."

Since Terry McMillan’s breakout novel Waiting to Exhale surged onto the bestseller lists, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, hilarious, pitch-perfect tales of women’s lives and contemporary issues. With The Interruption of Everything, her sixth novel, McMillan takes on the fault lines of midlife and family life, reminds us once again of the redeeming power of friendship, and turns her eye toward the dilemma of how a woman starts to put her own needs higher on the to-do list while not shortchanging everyone else.

Marilyn Grimes, wife and mother of three, has made a career of deferring her dreams to build a suburban California home and lifestyle with her husband, Leon. She troubleshoots for her grown kids, cares for her live-in mother-in-law, Arthurine (and elderly poodle, Snuffy); keeps tabs on her girlfriends Paulette and Bunny and her own aging mother and foster sister—all the while holding down a part-time job. But at forty-four, Marilyn’s got too much on her plate and nothing to feed her passion. She feels like she’s about ready to jump. She’s just not sure where.

Highly entertaining, deeply human, a page-turner full of heart and soul, The Interruption of Everything is vintage Terry McMillan—and a triumphant testament to the fact that the detour is the path, and living life "by the numbers" never quite adds up.

Critic reviews

“TERRY MCMILLAN KEEPS IT REAL.…easily her most accomplished tale...by turns laugh-out-loud funny and gut-punch painful. McMillan has painted a convincing portrait of the kind of woman who can say yes to everyone but herself.”—Boston Herald

“VINTAGE MCMILLAN...a very human story with large doses of friendship, humor, family, and imperfect relationships.”—The Dallas Morning News

“FUNNY, SAD, AND…FEISTY. [A] frank, no-holds-barred, humorous look at African-American midlife.”—The Seattle Times

“[MCMILLAN] HAS…A CUTTING WIT, a knack for capturing the way real people think and speak, a fearless willingness to engage complex, painful issues, and an unerring instinct for fashioning characters that enchant readers’ imaginations.”—The Washington Post

“WITH HUMOR AND HEART AND HUMANITY, MCMILLAN SPEAKS TO WOMEN ON THE VERGE.” —The Hartford Courant

Great book!!!

It was captivating . I couldn't stop listening. I listened in almost one day. Once you start listening you won't want to stop.

Nailed It!!!

This was well written and narrated. Terry, thank you for the "shout-out" to Oakland and the Bayarea. This really made me sad and happy, you mentioned a lot of historical landmarks in Oakland and had me walking down memory lane! I found myself laughing out laugh walking down the street while at work. Good things people probably thought I was on the phone. I didn't care for the f-bombs, but it added to the story line. I will definitely listen to this again.
I hope I can find another similar story. Again, thank you. I miss the Oakland you shared in the story, but unfortunately it gone forever 💔.

Excellent

I have always been a fan of Terry McMillan. Every book I read or listen too is hard to put down. I can't wait until the next book she puts out

What a great book

If you could sum up The Interruption of Everything in three words, what would they be?

Funny, Tear-Jerker, and well written

What other book might you compare The Interruption of Everything to and why?

I would compare this book to A Day Late and A Dollar Short.

Have you listened to any of Desiree Taylor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I hadn't however she was a fresh of breath air for this story. Wonderful narration.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was very sad about Joy. That was devastating.

Relatable

I really enjoyed the story even though this is one of her earlier works it was still relevant to my life. although the narrator was good, there were times I was having trouble deciphering which character was talking. I wished she would have changed her voice a little more. I'm sure I'll be listening to this book again in the future. All great books deserve a Second Spin.