PORTLAND, Maine — When Susan Conley sat down to write her second novel, she had at least one clear idea running through her head. “I wanted to try on a new voice of a woman who did not apologize for her ambition and her career,” she says, “and who also was blisteringly honest about the fact that she didn’t think she was doing the mother part well.” Those ideas and more were poured into “Elsey Come Home,” which officially went on sale this week.
The book tells the story of Elsey, an American living in China (where Conley herself spent a few years) who is deeply unhappy with herself and her life. Much of her angst comes from the challenges of juggling a spouse and children and a job. Those stresses are nothing new for women anywhere, and yet meeting them isn’t getting any easier. “When I go to a dinner party and hear another woman talking about how she’s pulling off her career and her kids, I go stand next to that woman,” Conley says. “I want to hear how she’s doing it. Because none of us can figure it out.”