About the Author

Margaret Overton is an anesthesiologist with an MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine and Creative Nonfiction. She lives in Chicago, and Good in a Crisis is her first book.

Reviews

"'Men might find you attractive, but only until they find out how smart you are.' This unhusbandly remark will resonate with a great many women who've felt it even if they haven't heard it in so many words. It's typical of the fierce candor Margaret Overton summons - along with an intact sense of humor and a doctor's eye for detail - to tell the story of how she survived a perfect storm of disasters and ended up stronger, wiser and ready for a kinder future." --Rosellen Brown "Good in a Crisis is a riotous romp through the messy, confusing, wonderful labyrinth of life. If you don't laugh, cry, sing, and shout while reading this book, call the coroner because you're already dead. Oh, and I'm nominating Overton for sainthood. She earned it." --Larry Dossey, M.D., author, The Power of Premonitions; executive editor, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing "What a story. Margaret Overton's Good in A Crisis is one harrowing episode after another. But as this grief-stricken anesthesiologist recounts her pain--of divorce, of illness, of bad dates and worse--she keeps tapping us right in the funny bone. The effect is quite moving and startling." --James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street "Margaret Overton is a truly funny, nervy, and insightful writer. Despite her personal losses, she and her wonderful memoir are both winners. I love Good in a Crisis!" --Hilma Wolitzer, author of An Available Man "[A] smart and clear-eyed narrative of one woman's midlife divorce.... Overton managed to overcome her many trials as she imparts with humor and some high-handed poise." --Publishers Weekly "[A] grimly hilarious journey.... brutally funny reading about midlife coming-of-age." --Kirkus Reviews

Returning to the single life after a 20-year marriage to a philandering surgeon, anesthesiologist Overton tries Internet dating only to encounter men ranging from weird to dangerous. Meanwhile, she manages to maintain a sense of humor as she struggles to cope with other problems including a life-threatening brain aneurism occurring during a sexual encounter, her daughter's serious accident, and the death of two close friends. Primarily chronicling Overton's postmarried years, this memoir avoids the usual divorce story pitfalls by being quirky, funny, and inspiring. The author narrates, and while not a polished reader, she sounds authentic. VERDICT This midlife coming-of-age story should appeal to memoir enthusiasts and those going through life-changing experiences. ["No one is immune to the fallout from a divorce, whether friends or family. This is a divorce book, but a good one," read the review of the Macmillan hc, "Memoir Short Takes," ow.ly/b9gbv.]-Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.