More Than Enough: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Quindlen is as observant and as wonderfully readable as ever, attuned to women’s lives and the nuances of their voices.”—Jennifer Weiner, The New York Times Book Review
A woman confronts the surprising results of an ancestry test and begins to question the meaning of family and friendship in this wise, tender novel teeming with life—from the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author of After Annie
No one knows you like your book club.
High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they’ve become her closest friends and, along with her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her students, her fraught relationship with her mother, her struggles with IVF—Polly’s book club friends have heard about it all.
But when they give Polly an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger. It is clear to Polly that this match is a mistake, but still she cannot help but comb through her family history for answers. Then, when it seems that the book club circle of four will become three, Polly learns how friendships can change your life in the most profound ways.
Written with Anna Quindlen’s trademark warmth, humor, and insight into the power of love and hope, More Than Enough explores how we find ourselves again and again through the relationships that define us.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
I went into More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen expecting warmth, wisdom, and maybe a gentle emotional gut punch. I did, technically, get those things… but I also got a character roster that required the mental stamina of taking attendance in a class of 300.
Let’s start with the good: Quindlen still writes with that signature compassion and emotional intelligence. Polly is likable, the friendship dynamics feel authentic, and there are some genuinely touching moments about grief, identity, and the way life refuses to stay politely organized. When the story slows down and focuses, it really works.
Unfortunately, my brain spent a solid chunk of the book playing “Wait, who is this again?” The cast is busy, and not in a fun ensemble way — more in a “flip back three chapters and squint” way. Just when I thought I had everyone straight, the narrative would slide into one of those semi-flashbacks (memory? aside? time warp?) that felt less like a smooth storytelling choice and more like the book quietly dumping background information while hoping I wouldn’t notice.
I noticed.
Those transitions made the story feel oddly disjointed at times, like the emotional throughline kept getting interrupted by narrative pop-ups. I appreciate the attempt to layer in depth without a massive info dump, but the execution sometimes pulled me out of the story instead of pulling me deeper in.
All that said, there’s still plenty here to like. The themes about friendship, family secrets, and how life can reroute you without permission are thoughtful and often moving. I just wish the structure had been a little tighter and the character load a little lighter.
A warm, thoughtful, slightly crowded read that had my heart… but occasionally lost my attention in the group chat.
Let’s start with the good: Quindlen still writes with that signature compassion and emotional intelligence. Polly is likable, the friendship dynamics feel authentic, and there are some genuinely touching moments about grief, identity, and the way life refuses to stay politely organized. When the story slows down and focuses, it really works.
Unfortunately, my brain spent a solid chunk of the book playing “Wait, who is this again?” The cast is busy, and not in a fun ensemble way — more in a “flip back three chapters and squint” way. Just when I thought I had everyone straight, the narrative would slide into one of those semi-flashbacks (memory? aside? time warp?) that felt less like a smooth storytelling choice and more like the book quietly dumping background information while hoping I wouldn’t notice.
I noticed.
Those transitions made the story feel oddly disjointed at times, like the emotional throughline kept getting interrupted by narrative pop-ups. I appreciate the attempt to layer in depth without a massive info dump, but the execution sometimes pulled me out of the story instead of pulling me deeper in.
All that said, there’s still plenty here to like. The themes about friendship, family secrets, and how life can reroute you without permission are thoughtful and often moving. I just wish the structure had been a little tighter and the character load a little lighter.
A warm, thoughtful, slightly crowded read that had my heart… but occasionally lost my attention in the group chat.
More Than Enough is a thoughtful, well-told story about family, friendship, and the secrets that shape us long before we know they exist. Anna Quindlen follows Polly Goodman. She is a high school English teacher whose life is already stretched thin by IVF, marriage, work, and an aging father in memory care. Then her book club friends give her an ancestry test as a joke because apparently nothing says funny like accidentally detonating someone’s entire family history.
I liked the way Quindlen rebuilt Polly’s life through her relationships. Her book club friends were easily my favorite part. They are funny, honest, and nosy in the loving way. Exactly the type of women you want around when your life starts unraveling. They encourage Polly, challenge her, and become the support system she does not always know how to ask for. I loved that friendship was treated as a real foundation for the story.
Polly’s marriage to Mark also worked well for me. He is steady, patient, and deeply supportive as Polly’s fertility struggles begin taking over their life together. The way IVF turns intimacy into timing, pressure, and procedure felt painful and believable. I could not personally relate to Polly’s obsession with pregnancy, but I understood how badly she wanted certainty in a life that kept handing her unanswered questions.
The family secrets were interesting. Polly began rethinking how she saw her mother, sister, and the father she loved. Her mother frustrated me so much. The emotional distance, dismissiveness, and casual way she withheld major information from Polly made my eye twitch. Mothers like that are exhausting. No wonder Polly feels responsible for carrying the whole world. She was never really taught how to share the load. That part felt painfully familiar to me.
The book never became riveting for me, but it did keep me curious. It is more of a reflective family drama than a page-turner. The story focuses on the women around Polly, complicated inheritance of family, and slow work of learning that love does not have to mean carrying everything alone.
Kirsten Sieh’s narration was excellent. I appreciated that she does not overperform with a dozen forced voices. Her style feels natural and conversational. Like sitting with a friend who is spilling family tea over coffee while also giving you surprisingly solid life advice.
Pick up More Than Enough if you enjoy literary family fiction, midlife stories, complicated mother-daughter relationships, found family friendships, and books that feel more reflective than dramatic.
B
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.