I’m in that twilight haze where I know I’m not asleep but I can’t move a muscle. I’ve done the thing where I’m awake but I haven’t yet opened my eyes.

But what’s a little physical pain when healing your soul is at stake? The question is: whether she’s on or off the track, will Charlotte be strong enough to stand on her own two feet? Then her new friend Francesca-an impulsive, smartass co-worker-offers Charlotte salvation in the unlikeliest of places: the fast-paced, super-tough, bump-and-bruise-filled world of roller derby. I can’t handle being the Weeping Burrito Girl.”Ĭharlotte knows all this self-absorbed introspection isn’t good for her, but she’s running out of people to turn to, as seemingly everyone in her life is pressuring her to make an immediate decision about her future. I’m likely to end up sitting on a curb beside a taco truck on Sunset Boulevard, crying over a carne asada burrito, wondering where my marriage went. “Without The Plan, horrible things can happen.

In order to get out of bed in the morning, she must concoct a to-do list for each day, The Plan, one with absolutely no surprises. Instead, the thought of making even the simplest choices triggers an anxiety attack. Stung by a whiplash of grief, resentment, and confusion, Charlotte calls a time-out, taking a small apartment where she can figure out what she wants. In fact, she reached her life’s quotient when her husband of five months walked out on her, only to abruptly change his mind a few weeks later and move back in.

Charlotte Goodman has had enough surprises.

Going in Circles by Pamela Ribon