38 pages • 1 hour read
We All Want Impossible Things
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
We All Want Impossible Things is a 2022 novel by Catherine Newman about a woman named Ash who cares for her terminally ill friend, Edi, in her final days. The novel is equal parts character study of Ash, whose thoughts and inner monologue make up large parts of the narrative, and a reflection on mortality, grieving, and friendship. Newman’s own experience of losing a dear friend to terminal illness inspired the basic premise of the story. The novel was published to largely positive reviews, though its detractors criticized it as an unrealistic case of wish fulfillment.
This study guide refers to the 2022 HarperCollins e-book edition.
Content Warning: The source material features depictions of terminal illness, death, grieving, and drug use, which this guide discusses.
Plot Summary
Protagonist Ash’s best friend, Edi, has a terminal illness and has been told she has only weeks to live. She is staying in a hospice care center called Graceful Shepherd, which is within walking distance of Ash’s home. Normally Edi lives in Brooklyn, but with no fitting hospice care centers nearby, she chose to enter one near Ash so she could spend her final days with her best friend.
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