For fans of The Midnight Library and In Five Years, The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a spellbinding novel that blends magic and memory in an unforgettable journey through love, grief, and the hidden cost of perfection across three generations of women.
Emerson Clarke can't remember a time when she felt in control. Her father--a celebrated author--was a chaotic force until he got Alzheimer's. Her mother turned to gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without explanation. If only she could arrange reality the same way she controls the stories she ghostwrites, life could be perfect.
Or so she thinks. After her father's funeral, Emerson steals his vintage typewriter--the one he'd forbidden anyone to touch--and tests its keys by typing out a frivolous wish. When it comes true the very next day, she tries another. Then, those words also spring to life. Suddenly, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to rewrite happiness for herself and her daughter. But the more she shapes her real-life, the more she uncovers disturbing truths about her family's history and the unexpected cost of every story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, yet when her daughter's secret finally emerges, Emerson is torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life.
Book details
Format
Hardcover
Publication date
January 27, 2026
ISBN
9781250394552
Publisher
St. Martin's Press
Pages
320
Language
English
BISAC
Fiction, Women, Magical Realism, Family Life, General
I could not put this book down! Emerson Clark’s story, shaped by grief, complicated family bonds and the longing to fix what is broken, is both relatable and haunting. The magical typewriter is a brilliant metaphor for control, choice, and the unintended consequences of rewriting our lives. The Unwritten Rules of Magic is beautifully written and deeply moving. A must read!
