When I started reading Karen Jones Gowen’s new novel, Afraid of Everything, I had to double-check that it was a novel and not a memoir. The beginning details a woman’s struggle with an uncontrollable anxiety through the interaction with a psychotherapist. The protagonist, Helena, is a Labor and Delivery nurse, whose extreme anxiety and fear of harming a patient have forced her to take a leave from her career. Anxiety permeates every aspect of her daily life, rendering her helpless to move forward. As Gowen slowly builds tension in her story, I found myself experiencing her fears and anxieties. Her writing is free-flowing and engaging. She paints a vivid picture of how anxiety looks and feels.

“When Mom died, my grief came like a silent howling creature, one whose throat was cut before it could scream. Sorrow was too mild a word for what coursed through me like a living being of destruction.” (Chapter Five, page 40)

In a unique plot twist, she is critically injured in a car accident and ends up in a coma. It is what happens while she is in a coma that keeps me turning the pages. Without giving away too much of the story, she finds her truth and her priorities and emerges a stronger person who is able to fully participate in her life. Although this is fiction, there are many valuable lessons for all of us. I highly recommend this well-crafted, creative novel which sheds light on anxiety and how it can impact our lives. It is an enjoyable and enlightening read. ( )