Clutch: An unflinching portrait of friendship, change and the messy courage of midlife, new for 2026

‘A truly great millennial novel’ New York Times Book Review newsletter ‘A big, beautiful novel about what friendship means as we get older’ LitHub ‘A big-hearted and daring novel from one of our finest creative and critical minds’ Jonathan Escoffery, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of If I Survive You ‘A powerfully intimate portrait of female friendship’ Kimberly King Parsons, author of We Were the Universe ***** As undergrads, Gregg, Reba, Hillary, Bella, and Carson formed the kind of rare bond that university brochures promise - friendship that lasts a lifetime.Two decades later, the women are spread across the country but remain firmly linked through their ever-active group chat.They’ve made it through COVID and childbirth and midcareer challenges, but no one can anticipate what’s coming next. The five women converge on Palm Springs for a long overdue reunion: Gregg, a progressive Texas legislator, is facing a huge decision about her political future.Reba is deep in IVF treatments w