"When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself. With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality....

"For Julie, an elementary school librarian and mother of two boys, there was no time for debilitating anxiety. Yet, the aftershocks of her first panic attack left her grappling with questions about the causes of her mental health crisis and where it would lead next. What follows is a hopeful, honest account of love, loss, a husband who isn't a mindreader, disastrous family outings, and finding a path (with help from loved ones and a few key new friends)...