Clementine Crane Prefers Not To: A Novel
Oct 2025 · Crooked Lane Books
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infoThis book will become available on October 14, 2025. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
For fans of Laurie Gelman, Clementine Crane is a one-woman whirlwind, juggling every aspect of her family's life—but everybody reaches her breaking point eventually in this quirky novel exploring family, community, and womanhood, from author Kristin Bair.
Clementine Crane has a few things on her plate: manage her kids’ insanely busy schedules, clean up after the dog, comfort her heartbroken teenage daughter, book a vacation house, shop for a birthday gift, prep meeting notes for her New England town’s cultural council, create a GoFundMe page for a family whose home was destroyed by fire, and about a thousand other tasks.
When is enough enough? Clementine’s husband certainly isn’t pulling his weight. But as the work and commitments pile up, she is driven to a drastic decision.
Clementine goes on strike, sitting down and refusing to handle another task for her husband, her family, or her town. The strike causes a ruckus. Her husband is confused and burdened, and her kids have to pick up the slack.
Then, the strangest thing happens: the strike goes viral on social media, and women across the globe decide to follow Clementine’s lead. As the global strike grows, Clementine basks in her newfound notoriety. But she also has some serious decisions to make about her own life.
Clementine can’t stay on strike forever, but is she willing to let a few things fall through the cracks—before she cracks again? Speaking to the emotional, and often invisible, labor that women take on in their daily roles, Clementine Crane finally asks: When does it become too much?
Clementine Crane has a few things on her plate: manage her kids’ insanely busy schedules, clean up after the dog, comfort her heartbroken teenage daughter, book a vacation house, shop for a birthday gift, prep meeting notes for her New England town’s cultural council, create a GoFundMe page for a family whose home was destroyed by fire, and about a thousand other tasks.
When is enough enough? Clementine’s husband certainly isn’t pulling his weight. But as the work and commitments pile up, she is driven to a drastic decision.
Clementine goes on strike, sitting down and refusing to handle another task for her husband, her family, or her town. The strike causes a ruckus. Her husband is confused and burdened, and her kids have to pick up the slack.
Then, the strangest thing happens: the strike goes viral on social media, and women across the globe decide to follow Clementine’s lead. As the global strike grows, Clementine basks in her newfound notoriety. But she also has some serious decisions to make about her own life.
Clementine can’t stay on strike forever, but is she willing to let a few things fall through the cracks—before she cracks again? Speaking to the emotional, and often invisible, labor that women take on in their daily roles, Clementine Crane finally asks: When does it become too much?
About the author
Kristin Bair is the author of the novels The Art of Floating and Thirsty, as well as essays about China, bears, adoption, off-the-plot expats, and more. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including The Manifest-Station, The Gettysburg Review, Flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment, The Christian Science Monitor, Poets & Writers Magazine, Writer's Digest, and other publications. As a writing instructor, her peripatetic nature has landed her in classrooms and conferences around the world. A native Pittsburgher, Kristin now lives north of Boston with her husband and two kiddos.
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