The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything: A Novel

By Kara Gnodde

With the offbeat charm of The Rosie Project and the generous warmth of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, this is a wry, moving debut novel about a pair of unforgettable siblings and a love triangle of sorts—one with math as its beating heart

Mimi Brotherton, younger sister of Art, believes in truth. And most of the time, she believes in telling it. Art, a mathematical genius, believes in facts. Bound together by their parents’ tragic deaths, the siblings share their family home and have a strong, if unequal, relationship. Art has everything he needs (math and a devoted sister). Now, Mimi is ready for a life of her own.

This might include love. At first, Art is cautiously enthusiastic, keen to demonstrate that love, like everything, is subject to rules. But when Mimi meets Frank, who is affable enough, but is another mathematician, Art bristles. He is on the cusp of solving a notoriously intractable equation, and success promises fame and fortune. But he fears that Frank may be after his sister for the wrong reasons. When both men are suddenly involved in a serious accident, Mimi is caught between the two. Can she trust her heart to guide her to the truth?

In this delightful, bittersweet novel, Kara Gnodde explores how the answers to life’s questions—the bonds of family and the calculations of the heart—follow a logic of their own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Feb 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781443468077

Kara Gnodde

Kara Gnodde was born in Johannesburg and raised on a diet of Dr. Seuss and no TV. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, she joined Saatchi & Saatchi in London as a strategic planner -- work that required head and heart, her favorite kind. She lived in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore before settling back in the UK with her husband and three children. A discussion on the radio about a math problem that could change the world, or perhaps just help keep her desk tidy, gave her a place to start The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything, her debut novel. 

Reviews for The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great characters with unusual problems, abilities and events. An easy read. Sinking into the characters and going with the flow.

[literaryleftovers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything by Kara GnoddeSiblings Art and Mimi have been living a quiet life together in London, staying close after the tragic death of their parents. Art, a neurodivergent math genius, has spent his life working on the solution to an unsolved problem. However, his quiet peace is about to be upended: after 13 years of caretaking, Mimi is ready to branch out from their routine and find love. In this complicated family drama, a war between logic and emotion develops amidst scenes of stargazing, suspicion, and of course, love. While I found Gnodde’s main characters immensely unlikable, her witty and emotional dialogue felt very realistic. Although I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying, it neatly wrapped up the loose narrative threads dangling throughout the book. As this is her debut novel, I look forward to watching her work develop over time.