# Standard Deviation

By Katherine Heiny

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/standard-deviation-61821104/

Graham Cavanaugh married Audra after leaving his first wife, Elspeth. Twelve years later, Audra decides they should all be friends. Graham already finds her endless conversations and unexpected houseguests exhausting; dinners with his ex-wife give him a new reason to question his judgment.

## What makes it funny?

Audra makes a point of encouraging a supermarket cashier who once suffered through an upsetting dispute over expensive pears. Graham listens, then privately wonders whether the store still has those pears and what he could cook with them. Her concern for a stranger and his concern for dinner occupy the same checkout line.

### The comedy at work

Heiny lets Audra talk freely while Graham supplies the thoughts he mostly keeps to himself. Their domestic errands reveal different priorities in small, awkward steps.

### Try this if…

Much of the pleasure comes from conversations and social obligations rather than a rapidly advancing plot. This suits readers who enjoy marriage comedies that give imperfect people room to be irritating, generous and unsure of themselves. Readers in book groups recommend its humor, including delighted reactions from early in the novel.

### Good to know

Infidelity and marital doubt run through the story. Graham and Audra are also raising their autistic son, Matthew, whose enthusiasm for origami brings another set of social encounters into their lives.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary
- On the shelf: Family comedy
- Kind of humor: Dry wit · Situational comedy
- The atmosphere: Warmhearted
- Format: Novel
- Length: 336 pages
- Audiobook: 10 hr 15 min
- Published: 2017

## A few distinguishing details

- A second wife determined to befriend her husband’s first wife
- Origami-club gatherings added to a crowded family calendar

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Penguin Random House lists Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny as a paperback, ISBN 9780804173162, with 336 pages; its audiobook format is listed at 10 hours 16 minutes.](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/240423/standard-deviation-by-katherine-heiny/9780804173162)
- Book information: [Apple Books lists Standard Deviation: A novel (Unabridged) by Katherine Heiny, narrated by Cassandra Campbell, with length 10:15.](https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/standard-deviation-a-novel-unabridged/id1418873134)
- Review: [Trade review](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/katherine-heiny/standard-deviation)
- Publisher: [Publisher opening excerpt](https://penguinrandomhouselibrary.com/book?isbn=9780804173162)
- Reader discussion: [Reader discussion](https://facebook.com/groups/TwoGirlsMustReads/permalink/2150541585744988)
- Publisher: [Publisher](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/240423/standard-deviation-by-katherine-heiny/9780385353823)
- Author commentary: [Author synopsis and jacket](https://katherineheiny.com/standard-deviation)
- Review: [Trade review](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780385353816)