How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund?

2024 has brought a number of beautiful novels exploring aging and the experiences of older protagonists, from Julia Alvarez’s The Cemetery of Untold Stories to Claire Lombardo’s Same as It Ever Was. Even in such company, Anna Montague’s debut, How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund?, stands out as the surest bet to bring on both laughter and tears. Magda is a psychiatrist just entering her 70s who sets off on a cross-country road trip accompanied by the ashes of her best friend, hoping to finally face what was left unresolved in their friendship.