Standard Deviation is one of those rare books that is filled with light-hearted humour, but is also poignant, sad and relevant. I think that’s largely due to the wonderful characters that Katherine Heiny has faultlessly created. They collectively make it a great read and are characters that will likely stay with you for a long time.
The story centres around the marriage of Graham and Audra, his significantly younger second wife and the result of an affair when he was married to his first wife, Elspeth. Audra is a force of nature brought to life so brilliantly in Standard Deviation, that you can’t help but like her. She’s endlessly optimistic, talks constantly and makes friends with everyone, including eventually Elspeth.
When we meet Elspeth it’s hard to see how the taciturn attorney Graham went from one to the other. She couldn’t be more different to Audra. Yet somehow Audra wears her down to the point where Elspeth and her new partner Bentrup have regular double dates with her ex and her replacement.
Alongside this, Standard Deviation introduces us to Matthew, Audra and Graham’s 10-year-old son, who has Asperger’s. Parenting the friendless young boy who is obsessed with origami brings its challenges. Graham clearly loves him but sometimes wishes life could be easier for them both, while Audra is always positive and patient with her son.
Some of the book’s funniest parts involve the origami club that Matthew is invited to join. Initially, his parents are concerned that the rest of the club members are older adults. But as they are also on the autism spectrum, Matthew fits right in. And Audra being Audra invites the motley crew to Thanksgiving Dinner. Other guests include Matthew’s piano teacher and an old lady on the sixth floor of their New York apartment building. None of them had plans and it made Audra sad to think of them being alone on Thanksgiving.
Standard Deviation isn’t a plot-driven book, it opens during a weekly trip to the supermarket where Audra talks to everyone while Graham wonders if they live in parallel universes. And it ends after the couple have dropped Matthew off for a playdate and are discussing inviting his new friend’s parents to dinner. The prospect fills Graham with dread but he knows it will happen. The book simply drops into their life and marriage finding humour in the ordinary and creating a story that is both hilariously funny and very relatable.
I bought Standard Deviation second-hand from Awesome Books but you can also get it in your local library or from Oxfam, the largest retailer of second-hand books in Europe. I’m a book volunteer at my local Oxfam shop so that’s where my copy will be going!