What do you do when the line between love and hate proves needle-thin?
Naomi Taylor considers herself a devoted wife and mother, though the bruises left by her husband map her apparent failings. Rejecting her friend’s plea to leave, determined to keep her family together, Naomi is summoned to face the years-long erosion of her identity. But with the COVID lockdown edging in, and time and options running out, Naomi must protect herself and her daughter as their world quickly crumbles around them.
Nearby, cocky and commitment-shy Tom Grayson is unnerved when his new girlfriend moves in, then terrified when she makes a shock revelation that upends his life. Confronted with the guilt of abandoning his son, he’s buoyed by a brief lockdown encounter with Naomi and her daughter, and dares to hope that perhaps he isn’t beyond redemption. But when his girlfriend turns abusive, weaponising his grief and forbidding reconnection with his son, Tom is trapped in a new life he’s expected to build while mourning the one he left behind.
Overflowing Nothings and Threadbare Everythings is a homage to the extremes of cruelty and compassion, to the courage we find in desperate moments, and to the brief but pivotal encounters that can alter the course of a life forever.
A mother's resilience.
A father's guilt.
Two separate lives.
One captive world.
What do you do when the line between love and hate proves needle-thin?
Naomi Taylor considers herself a devoted wife and mother, though the bruises left by her husband map her apparent failings. Rejecting her friend’s plea to leave, determined to keep her family together, Naomi is summoned to face the years-long erosion of her identity. But with the COVID lockdown edging in, and time and options running out, Naomi must protect herself and her daughter as their world quickly crumbles around them.
Nearby, cocky and commitment-shy Tom Grayson is unnerved when his new girlfriend moves in, then terrified when she makes a shock revelation that upends his life. Confronted with the guilt of abandoning his son, he’s buoyed by a brief lockdown encounter with Naomi and her daughter, and dares to hope that perhaps he isn’t beyond redemption. But when his girlfriend turns abusive, weaponising his grief and forbidding reconnection with his son, Tom is trapped in a new life he’s expected to build while mourning the one he left behind.
Overflowing Nothings and Threadbare Everythings is a homage to the extremes of cruelty and compassion, to the courage we find in desperate moments, and to the brief but pivotal encounters that can alter the course of a life forever.
Psst... Did you know you can also ask your
local bookshop to order you in a copy?
What readers are saying...
★★★★★
"I read it in one sitting. Could not put it down. A mother and her precious daughter. A man who finds himself an unlikely statistic. The characters are immediately believable and engaging. I seamlessly became invested in them…some so endearing…some revolting. Through backstories we learn about great love as well as how trauma and patterns can permeate generations. We see the priceless gift of the truest friendships. Moments of hope, pain, grief, and healing. This is a book that needed to be written. Without a doubt it will make a stellar book club choice. More than that though, this is a story with the potential to plant a seed and save a life."
- Kate Minyard
★★★★★
"I am recommending this book with the biggest, most emotional asterisk because it is a total roller coaster. Your anger will be at a 10/10 for most of it, and then the epilogue will literally have you sobbing. It’s not through grand, cinematic gestures, but through the ordinary decency of neighbors, friends, and strangers willing to step into the dark to catch you. If you want a heavy, psychologically accurate debut that handles trauma with exquisite tenderness and gives you a gorgeous legacy of healing, pick this up immediately. Just keep a box of tissues close by."
- Nizza Angay-Angay
★★★★
"This book is such a powerful, emotional read... From the very beginning, it pulls you into raw, difficult moments... The writing is deeply personal but also incredibly relatable.
What stood out most were the heartfelt messages. This is the kind of book that reminds people they’re not alone, that help is there, and that they are stronger than they think. It touches on despair, heartache, grief, and healing in such a real way... The writing is amazing, honest, and meaningful. Overall, a powerful piece that leaves you thinking—and maybe even encourages more people to share their own stories."
- Gena Vonderloh
★★★★★
"A beautiful yet heartbreaking tale, bursting with raw and tender moments... Tom and Naomi's storylines converge in a way I never could have imagined. Carly's prose is filled with descriptive little gems that really heightened the experience. This is the kind of story that will stick with you long after you've read it!"
- Sarah Ducey
★★★★★
"I finished this in 2 days (which for me is a very short amount of time!) because I couldn’t put this book down. I think I experienced every emotion possible. I cried, laughed, was FURIOUS, then cried again. Sobbed, more like. The characters are so human I felt like I knew them as well as some of my closest friends. I didn’t want to let them go. A fantastic book, and I was shocked to learn it’s the author’s debut! I highly recommend, but do check those triggers as there is some very tough subject matter. Looking forward to the author’s next one!"
- Eloise Carey
★★★★★
"I cried so much during this book I am glad I wasn't reading a physical copy or I would have ruined the pages with my tears. I related to Tom a lot as his experiences are similar to something I have gone through. I have never read about a character I have related to more and I think that left me sobbing even more. I experienced so much during this book and if I could have filmed my reactions, I would have."
- Elise Green
★★★★★
"As someone who grew up with a parent that [teteered] on the line of verbal abuse this book is very real. I was cheering for the 2 main characters even if Tom seems hopeless at the beginning. Everything comes together so well in the end but there are some raw emotional flashbacks that everyone should be prepared [for]"
- Amanda Leggett
★★★★★
"This book gave me so many emotions, I laughed, I cried and I got angry. It tells the story of grief, guilt, making life changing decisions, cruelty of life and healing. I honestly did not expect to connect in the way I did with the characters or have the reactions I did!"
- Sarah Whitton
★★★★
"[This] is an emotional, grounded, and resonant story about the challenge every person in an abusive relationship faces: finding the courage to confront their situation, and the strength to escape. I loved the compelling and deeply human protagonists, evocative writing, fast pace with the right amount of flair, and a bittersweet and grounded but still fitting ending. The author nailed the emotional core of this story. Her inspiration and intent for creating this is worth commending, especially for her debut work. If you can handle the trigger warnings and are up for the challenge of a story like this, I can gladly recommend it."
- Carlo Martinez
★★★★
"This book was an emotional roller coaster and there were moments where I felt like I knew the characters and they could’ve been people I saw everyday. I loved that we followed these characters throughout their mundane life. I haven’t read many books set during COVID but I’m glad this one included it because it sheds light into how lockdown affected domestic abuse victims. I loved how male domestic abuse was depicted. It’s a topic not talked about enough but I think the author handled it with a lot of care."
- Lissbeth Mayona
@carlo.martinez__
@lissbethmancia
@brons.books
@ashleighsbooknook
Amazon #4 BESTSELLER!
Psst... Did you know you can also ask your
local bookshop to order you in a copy?
What readers are saying...
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