Publisher's Weekly I LIKE YOU JUST FINE WHEN YOU'RE NOT AROUNDGarvin’s wit and sensitivity keep her in full control of the emotional subject matter. Pinpoint details and realistic characterizations of Tig’s internal strife firmly situate readers in this eccentric, endearing story of a family coming together to face the ravages of Alzheimer’s.“It’s not enough that Ann Garvin is hilarious. Then she has to go ahead and be compassionate and wise about the hopeful car-wreck that is most of humanity…Garvin builds an unorthodox family that’s both tight knit and forever at odds, and not one of those family members feels any less than rich, real, and complex–just what a novel needs.” –Michelle Wildgen, author of You’re Not You and Bread and Butter - “Told with Garvin’s charming wit and propelled by mystery, I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around challenges our definition of family and love. A poignant and humor-filled look at those who care for everyone but themselves.”–Kate Moretti New York Times author of Thought I Knew You And Binds That Tie “I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around captures the gritty truth of a family in crisis as the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s disease collides with caring for new life. Author Ann Garvin, writing with warmth and wisdom, explores sisters turning from piercing love to boiling rage and back again as they cope with the exhaustion of being the sandwiched generation.”–Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of Accidents of Marriage “It's not enough that Ann Wertz Garvin is hilarious. Then she has to go ahead and be compassionate and wise about the hopeful car-wreck that is most of humanity. In I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around, Garvin builds an unorthodox family that's both tight knit and forever at odds, and not one of those family members feels any less than rich, real, and complex--just what a novel needs.” --Michelle Wildgen, author of YOU’RE NOT YOU AND BREAD AND BUTTER "Ann Garvin is unique in her ability to diffuse even the darkest of situations with humor and heart. I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around has heaps of both." – Susan Gloss, VINTAGE "This is a riveting story about a woman whose life spins out of control as she tries to cling to a mother whose memories are slipping away, revealing long-buried family secrets. Fast-paced and witty, the story sneaks up on you page after page, delivering profound emotional truths about the nature of love and the power of family."--Holly Robinson, author of BEACH PLUM ISLAND and HAVEN LAKE In I LIKE YOU JUST FINE WHEN YOU'RE NOT AROUND, Ann Garvin skillfully weaves an intricate tale of life and love that allows the reader to easily immerse herself in a complex family dynamic. The cast of characters is realistic as well as delightfully quirky, and Garvin's sharp wit and keen insight shine through on every page. I LIKE YOU JUST FINE WHEN YOU'RE NOT AROUND is a heartwarming and humorous read. —Amy Sue Nathan, author of THE GLASS WIVES "Ann Garvin writes delightfully flawed characters and compelling plots with humor and compassion. Her view of the world makes people not only fans of her work, but fangirls of her personally." --Ann Imig LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER Kirkus Review THE DOG YEAR:With humor and compassion, Garvin shows how recovery depends on honesty—often with other people who share an addiction, whether to booze, drugs or shoplifting—and on helping others, whether stray dogs or stray people. Hopeful but not saccharine, this novel offers a deeply sympathetic view of recovery from grief.Ann Garvin is an Easterner who lives in the Midwest and a fiction writer who makes a living as a scientist and educator. While working as a nurse she completed her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in exercise psychology publishing extensively in the area of exercise, mental health and media and later became a prize winning short story writer.Decades of teaching health and studying what makes people tick proved a perfect backdrop for her novels I LIKE YOU JUST FINE WHEN YOU'RE NOT AROUND (Tyrus), THE DOG YEAR & ON MAGGIE'S WATCH (Berkley Penguin). Ann, a natural storyteller, is a sought after speaker and educator at conferences where writing, health and human nature is discussed. Founder of The Tall Poppy Writers & Co-Founder of The Fifth Semester