And the prize for the novel that best captures its political moment goes to... How to Sleep at Night, Elizabeth Harris's powerhouse debut, in which social loyalties are tested in the most scintillating and witheringly funny ways possible.
One day, Nicole Harmon, who lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids, sees someone from her past on the TV news: it's Kate Keller, whom Nicole briefly dated when they were in their 20s. Kate is now a journalist with New York's Herald Ledger. Nicole decides to follow her on Instagram; Kate reciprocates.
Gabe Alter, Kate's best friend, is apoplectic when Kate confesses that she has hopped back into bed with Nicole: aside from being married, Nicole broke Kate's heart the first time around. But Gabe, a self-described outspoken Democrat, has his own problems: his husband, Ethan, who is Kate's brother, is running for Congress--as a Republican. This will ultimately test both Gabe's marriage and, when she learns something consequential to Ethan's candidacy, Kate's journalistic integrity.
How to Sleep at Night, which is suited to readers of any political stripe, teases a question throughout: Are loved ones owed our unwavering support even when their values depart from our own? Although none of the novel's central characters are cartoonish, there's some terrific buffoonery on the sidelines, and much humor comes from regional distinctions. After Kate tells Gabe that Ethan could win his race despite being a gay Republican--"This is the Northeast," she points out--Gabe counterargues, "This is New Jersey!" --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer