For those who enjoyed The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer and The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett, The Liabilities of Love is an ambitious and masterful portrayal of the complex journey of how trauma can reverberate throughout a woman’s life, the differing perspectives people have on intimacy and the unintended consequences and risks of falling in love.



Following the death of her beloved mother, Margaret Carlyle heads to Trinity college in 1979 hoping to find love and acceptance in this new setting. Assaulted on her first date by a charismatic peer Anders, she wants nothing more than to forget it ever happened. But as the years pass, each life decision she makes seems driven by what happened that night until she realizes she must face her past head-on. This deeply moving novel is a window into class and privilege, the mysteries of marriage, and the destructive power of secrets―and an examination of what happens when we try to bury the past, as well as the consequences of confronting it.