More Than Enough

 Anna Quindlen

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Initial Impression

This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author, so I had no idea what to expect. The synopsis of the story sounded truly interesting and not something I have read in the past.

Summary
The story centers on Polly Goodman, a New York City English teacher in her forties who’s built a pretty comfortable, if somewhat rigid, life for herself. Everything seems settled until a birthday DNA test throws a wrench into things by revealing a close relative she didn't know existed. It’s a classic setup, but instead of turning into a fast-paced thriller, it's more of a slow-burn look at a personal identity crisis.

Most of the book follows Polly’s everyday grind—juggling classes at an all-girls school, heading to her usual book club meetings, and coming home to her husband, Mark. On the surface, it’s all very "civilized," but Quindlen uses that routine to peek at the messy stuff underneath: the lingering sting of infertility, old heartbreaks, and that nagging question of who we actually are when our biological history is a blank slate.

Characters
Polly is... well, she’s a lot. She’s thoughtful and compassionate, sure, but she spends so much time stuck in her own head that I found myself wanting to give her a bit of a nudge. Her anxiety about aging and her longing for a child feel incredibly raw and honest, but there were moments where I felt like I was reading her diary entries rather than watching a story happen. She can feel less like a person in motion and more like a landing pad for big "Life Lessons."

The author did a good job with some of the side characters. The women in the book club each has her own set of problems, and their different paths in life act as a "what if" mirror for Polly. On the other hand, Mark is just the "perfect" husband. He’s kind, steady, and always there. Honestly, he might be too perfect. He lacks that messy, human friction that would make him feel like a three-dimensional partner rather than just a supportive backdrop.

The Pacing and the Writing

Anna Quindlen's prose is lyrical and carries this gentle weight to it. That said, the pacing is likely to be a drawback for some readers. It was for me. Despite the book being less than 300 pages, it took me some time to get into it and finish it. There are these massive stretches of internal monologue that, while beautiful, definitely stall the engine. It’s the kind of book you read for the sentences, not necessarily because you’re dying to know what happens on the next page.

The Setting

New York is handled well here, too. It’s not the "Sex and the City" version; it’s a lived-in, slightly weary version of the city that feels like a natural extension of Polly’s personality. It’s subdued, a bit

melancholy, and stays pretty much at that one emotional frequency throughout.

Final Thoughts
More Than Enough is a solid, emotionally intelligent look at the things we don't usually say out loud. Quindlen did a great job capturing that specific mid-life realization that life didn't turn out exactly how you planned. This is very relevant to us when we hope for something, and the result is something else.

However, the book’s greatest strength—its restraint—is also its biggest flaw. It’s so quiet that it occasionally risks being forgettable. Sometimes I felt the author wanted to expand many subplots inside a constrained number of pages. If you’re into deep character studies and don't mind a plot that moves at a walking pace, you’ll probably find a lot to love. If you’re looking for a "hook" or a big dramatic payoff, this might feel a bit thin. I'd give it a 3/5: well-crafted and sincere, but it didn't exactly set my hair on fire.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book. 

Key Themes

• Identity and Self Discovery
• Family, Chosen & Biological
• Infertility and Motherhood
• Aging
• Memory Loss
• Female Friendship