Daphne: A Novel

Daphne by Will Boast is the story of a woman so vulnerable to emotion that it quite literally paralyzes her. She treats her condition like an affliction, avoiding life’s highs and lows to fend off the catatonia that descends whenever she feels too deeply.

Taken at face value, Daphne’s life of careful and restrictive routines seems a sad commentary on managing chronic illness and building a life from within its limitations. However, taken as an allegory for the technology-driven lives of modern millennials, who struggle with human intimacy and turn to their digital screens for comfort, Daphne’s story elevates into a provocative tale of modernity’s social dysfunctions.

Set in a modern, youth-centric San Francisco Bay Area of trains, corporate offices, support groups, and wild parties, 29-year-old Daphne is arguably at the epicenter of technology culture, riding her daily BART train beside the purveyors, creators, and users of the devices and social media that have stymied a generation. As she narrates her life of self-protection and fear, Daphne stifles feelings and dodges triggers, keeping herself safe yet mentally anesthetized. Her journey out of her bubble and into the dangers of genuine feeling makes a compelling and provocative read.