The Most

Author: Jessica Anthony
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company, 2024
Pages: 144
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: It's November 3, 1957. As Sputnik 2 launches into space, carrying Laika, the doomed Soviet dog, a couple begin their day. Virgil Beckett, an insurance salesman, isn't particularly happy in his job but he fulfills the role. Kathleen Beckett, once a promising tennis champion with a key shot up her sleeve, is now a mother and homemaker. On this unseasonably warm Sunday, Kathleen decides not to join her family at church. Instead, she unearths her old, red bathing suit and descends into the deserted swimming pool of their apartment complex in Newark, Delaware. And then she won't come out.

Set over eight hours, The Most breaches the shimmering surface of a seemingly idyllic mid-century marriage, immersing us in the unspoken truth beneath.

Review: I think I picked this book up at the library at the end of 2024 because it was short, and I was concerned that I wouldn't complete my reading challenge. However, I actually finished one book ahead and started this in 2025. I loved it.

As I write this review and think about what drew me in, I love it even more. There's so much complexity and nuance in what is a short novel at 144 pages. It's life and it resonated.