Amy Poeppel’s fifth novel, Far and Away, delivers a delightfully complex tale of two women whose lives intersect through the most modern of conveniences: a house swap gone wonderfully awry. This contemporary women’s fiction proves that sometimes the best way to find yourself is to literally step into someone else’s shoes—or in this case, someone else’s home.
The Perfect Storm of Circumstances
Lucy Holt finds herself in the perfect storm of suburban Dallas chaos. Her eighteen-year-old son Jack has made a catastrophic mistake that’s resulted in his expulsion from school, vandalized property, and a social media scandal that has turned their once-comfortable neighborhood into hostile territory. Meanwhile, her husband Mason is sealed away in a NASA biosphere simulation in New Mexico, leaving Lucy to navigate this crisis as a single parent to Jack and twin daughters Alice and Zoe.
Across the Atlantic, Greta von Bosse faces her own upheaval when her husband Otto announces—without consultation—that he’s accepted a research position in Dallas. Her carefully ordered Berlin life, complete with her prestigious job at an auction house and her methodical German routines, is about to be turned upside down. When the two women connect through a desperate Instagram post, they agree to swap houses, lives, and continents.
Cultural Comedy Meets Emotional Depth
Poeppel, who splits her time between New York, Germany, and Connecticut, brings authentic cultural insight to this cross-continental adventure. The culture clash moments are genuinely amusing—from Greta’s horror at discovering Lucy’s house comes with six pets (two dogs, three cats, and a guinea pig named Piglet) to Lucy’s bewilderment at Berlin’s social customs and her struggle with the German language.
The author’s German connections shine through in the rich, specific details of Berlin life. Greta’s apartment in Charlottenburg feels lived-in and real, while Lucy’s modern Dallas home, described as looking like “an East German office building” from the outside but containing space-age technology within, perfectly captures the stark differences between their worlds. These details never feel like research dumps but rather natural extensions of each character’s personality and background.
Where the Plot Both Soars and Stumbles
The novel’s greatest strength lies in its character development and emotional authenticity. Lucy’s journey from crisis to self-discovery feels genuine, particularly her complicated relationship with her past. When her son Jack begins asking questions about his biological father—a Danish man named Bjørn from Lucy’s study abroad days—the story takes on deeper emotional resonance.
Poeppel handles the revelation of Jack’s parentage with remarkable sensitivity. The scenes between Lucy and Bjørn in Copenhagen are beautifully crafted, avoiding melodrama while honestly exploring the complexities of old relationships and their lasting consequences. The author skillfully shows how past decisions ripple through generations, and how honesty, however delayed, can heal old wounds.
However, the novel occasionally feels overstuffed with subplots. Greta’s storyline involving a potentially fraudulent Vermeer painting, while interesting in its art world details, sometimes feels disconnected from the main emotional arc. Similarly, some of the secondary characters, particularly the Dallas neighbors and Otto’s work colleagues, feel more like plot devices than fully realized people.
The Strengths of Seasoned Storytelling
After four previous novels (Small Admissions, Limelight, Musical Chairs, and The Sweet Spot), Poeppel has clearly found her narrative voice. Her prose has a conversational ease that makes even the most chaotic moments feel approachable. She excels at capturing the internal monologue of overwhelmed mothers and the particular exhaustion that comes with managing family crises while trying to maintain professional responsibilities.
The book’s structure, alternating between Lucy and Greta’s perspectives across multiple time zones, could have been confusing in less capable hands. Instead, Poeppel uses it to build tension and highlight the parallel nature of their journeys toward self-acceptance.
Teen Characters That Ring True
One of the novel’s unexpected pleasures is its portrayal of teenage characters. Jack’s struggle with his mistake and its consequences feels authentic rather than stereotypical. His journey to understand his identity—both through his biological father and his own actions—adds depth to what could have been a simple coming-of-age subplot.
The introduction of Greta’s daughter Emmi, visiting from university, and her friendship with Jack provides some of the book’s most genuine moments. Poeppel clearly understands how teenagers actually communicate and think, avoiding the common trap of making them sound like miniature adults or caricatures.
Minor Criticisms in an Otherwise Engaging Tale
While Far and Away by Amy Poeppel succeeds on multiple levels, it’s not without its flaws. The pacing occasionally flags during the middle section, particularly when Greta is dealing with practical concerns about Otto’s career move. Some readers might find the resolution of certain plot threads too neat, especially given the complexity of the problems introduced early in the story.
The book also occasionally relies on coincidence in ways that strain credibility. The children’s impromptu road trip to Denmark, while emotionally satisfying, requires several logical leaps that might test some readers’ suspension of disbelief.
A Warm Embrace of Life’s Beautiful Messiness
Despite these minor quibbles, Far and Away by Amy Poeppel succeeds in its primary mission: telling a story about the beautiful messiness of modern life and the unexpected ways people can help each other heal. Poeppel has crafted characters who feel like people you might actually know—flawed, funny, and fundamentally human.
The novel’s exploration of themes like identity, forgiveness, and the courage required to start over resonates without becoming preachy. Both Lucy and Greta discover that sometimes the best way to fix your life is to step outside of it entirely, even if just temporarily.
Perfect for Fans of Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Readers who enjoyed novels like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid or Beach Read by Emily Henry will find much to love in Far and Away by Amy Poeppel. The book offers the same blend of humor, heart, and authentic emotional stakes that make contemporary women’s fiction so compelling.
Poeppel’s writing style draws inevitable comparisons to authors like Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner, but she brings her own distinct voice—slightly more sophisticated than typical beach reads but never pretentious or overly literary.
Similar Books Worth Reading
If you enjoyed Far and Away by Amy Poeppel, consider these similar titles:
- The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet – A darker take on the house swap concept
- The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston – Romance with a magical realism twist
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – About second chances and life’s possibilities
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – Character-driven contemporary fiction
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple – Humor and heart in family dynamics
The Verdict: A Satisfying Escape with Substance
Far and Away by Amy Poeppel succeeds as both an entertaining escape and a thoughtful exploration of how we rebuild our lives after crisis. Poeppel has created a world that feels both aspirational and attainable—these characters face real problems but approach them with humor, grace, and the support of unexpected friendships.
While the novel may not break new literary ground, it offers something equally valuable: a warm, funny, and ultimately hopeful story about the resilience of the human spirit. In our current climate of uncertainty and change, there’s something deeply comforting about a book that reminds us that most problems, however overwhelming they seem, can be solved with honesty, courage, and perhaps a change of scenery.
For readers seeking intelligent contemporary fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Far and Away delivers exactly what it promises: a delightful journey that reminds us that sometimes the best adventures begin when everything falls apart.