Published January 2026
Emily Austin, the bestselling “queen of darkly quirky, endearingly flawed heroines” (Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus), returns with a luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.
Darcy’s life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake.
But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community, and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch’s upcoming DEI programs.
Through the support of her community, colleagues, and the personal growth that results from examining her previous relationships, Darcy comes into her own agency and the truest version of herself. Is This a Cry for Help? not only offers a moving portrait of queer life after coming of age but also powerfully explores questions about sexuality, community, and the importance of libraries.
IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP?
Praise & Reviews
“A well-paced, humorous, and introspective narrative that shifts between past and present, Is This a Cry for Help? captures Darcy’s journey from dependency to individualism. It ends with a quiet sense of moral ambiguity, aided by verse from Rumi: ‘Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.’”
— Literary Review of Canada
“Austin has a gift for creating characters so real with insights so uniquely personal that they live in my heart long after the final page.”
— NATALIE SUE, internationally bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well
“Inject every Emily Austin novel straight into my veins…[Is This a Cry for Help?] stole my heart.”
— CECELIA LASKEY, author of Cover Story
“Emily Austin is the patron saint of Sad Girls With Too Many Feelings and masterful at finding and revealing the universal story in an achingly specific situation.”
— NORA McINERNY, author of Bad Vibes Only
“Everything Austin writes is swoonworthy, full of lovely humans struggling to find meaning, love, and belonging in a world that’s often too cold.”
— ANDREW DAVID MACDONALD, author of When We Were Vikings
“Emily Austin gets better and better!”
— MAI NGUYEN, author of Sunshine Nails
“No one blends humor and existentialism quite like Austin.”
— HALEY JAKOBSON, New York Times Editor’s Choice author of Old Enough
“No one blends humor and existentialism quite like Austin.”
— HALEY JAKOBSON, New York Times Editor’s Choice author of Old Enough
“I will read whatever Austin puts in front of me until I'm six feet under.”
— JEAN KYOUNG FRAZIER, author of Pizza Girl