The Guilt Pill: A Novel by Saumya Dave (Hardcover) (PREORDER)

Fiction - Thrillers - Psychological - Feminist - Cultural Heritage - Magical Realism

RELEASE DATE: 4/15/2025  (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE AND ARRIVE 1-2 DAYS AFTER THE RELEASE DATE)

What if women could get rid of their guilt?

Maya Patel has it all—her own start-up, a sexy, doting husband, influencer status, and now, a new baby. Or does she? Because behind closed doors, Maya's drowning.Her newborn's taking a toll on her marriage, her best friend won't return her calls, and her company's hanging on by a thread. The worst part? It's all her fault. If she could just be a better boss, mother, wife, daughter, friend… Maybe she wouldn't feel so guilty all the time.

Enter: #Girlboss Liz Anderson, who introduces her to the "guilt pill," an experimental supplement that erases female guilt. At first, it’s the perfect antidote to Maya’s self-blame and imposter syndrome, and she finally becomes the unapologetic woman she’s always wanted to be. But there's a catch: for Maya to truly "have it all," she needs to be ready to risk it all. And as Maya falls deeper and deeper down the pill's guilt-free rabbit hole, her growing ruthlessness could threaten everything she's built for herself—and the family she's worked so hard to protect.

Electric, taut, and sharply observed, The Guilt Pill is a feminist exploration of motherhood, race, ambition, and how the world treats women who dare to go after everything they want.

AUTHOR BIO:

Saumya Dave is the author of Well-Behaved Indian Women, which was a Lilly Singh book club pick, and What a Happy Family. Both have been optioned for film. She is a psychiatrist, adjunct professor at Mount Sinai, and frequent mental health contributor for NBC News. Dave's essays, articles, and poems have been featured in the New York Times, ABC News, Refinery29, and others. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.

" The Guilt Pill is a sharp, insightful, funny and deeply human meditation on motherhood and being your own person and where they intersect. Saumya Dave is one of my favorite writers and she has written her best novel yet." --Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

" The Guilt Pill is the answer to the age-old question of whether a woman can do it all--and whether she should. A powerful rallying cry, a juicy glimpse into startup and influencer culture, and a surprising, intimate portrait of a family strained to breaking by the weight on a new mother's shoulders. Saumya Dave has written a book that's as addictive as its untested supplement. You'll want to share it with everyone you know." --Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know

" The Guilt Pill is book club fiction at its finest, a story full of complicated characters you can't help rooting for. An incisive, ominous, and ultimately hopeful take on the all-too-pervasive guilt that accompanies motherhood, this one is not to be missed. I can't wait to read whatever Dave writes next." --Stephanie Wrobel, internationally bestselling author of The Hitchcock Hotel

"A gripping and deeply empathetic portrayal of modern-day motherhood... [ The Guilt Pill] will have readers thinking about Maya's story long after they've turned the final page." --Kirthana Ramisetti, author of GMA book club pick Dava Shastri's Last Day

" The Guilt Pill is a brilliant meditation on modern-day motherhood and what happens when women are pushed beyond their limits. Saumya Dave masterfully explores the complexities and absurdities of early motherhood, confidently walking the line between satirical and all-too-real. The Guilt Pill is bold, sly, suspenseful, and bitingly funny. Everyone is going to be talking about this book." --Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat