Elizabeth LaBan

Elizabeth LaBan writes American fiction and nonfiction that examines family life, work, marriage, and the strain created by concealed problems. Her novels include The Tragedy Paper, The Restaurant Critic’s Wife, Pretty Little World, and Beside Herself. Not Perfect centres on Tabitha Brewer, a wife and mother trying to preserve the appearance of an affluent Philadelphia life after her husband disappears and the family’s finances collapse. As she searches for employment and manages mounting bills, small acts of theft become part of a wider crisis involving secrecy, shame, and self-reliance. LaBan has described the novel as an exploration of people stretched beyond the life they can afford and of the pressure created by trying to keep every detail under control. The book balances domestic tension with humour and questions the cost of maintaining an idealized household. Not Perfect extends LaBan’s recurring interest in ordinary relationships unsettled by private decisions and unexpected economic realities.