The Adjunct

A Novel

By: Maria Adelmann

Write A Review

Hardcover | 31 March 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.3 x 14.0 x 2.8

Hardcover

$52.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $13.19 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

A Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2026 * Glamour's Best Books for Book Clubs 2026 * Bustle's Best New Books of March

From the acclaimed author of <i Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 253);">How to Be Eaten, a fresh take on the campus novel that follows an adjunct professor gigging her way through academia’s poor job market when she crosses paths with her old PhD adviser, whose new novel might be about her—for readers of <i Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 253);">Worry, <i Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 253);">Vladimir, and <i Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgb(251, 252, 253);">Less.

Sam, an adjunct professor at a public university in Baltimore, takes a last-minute gig at the private liberal arts college down the road. Overworked and underpaid, she lives in a blur of back-to-back classes, side hustles, and job applications for an ever-dwindling number of tenure-track positions. Her already precarious existence is thrown into disarray when she runs into her former grad school adviser, Dr. Tom Sternberg, on campus.

Tom and Sam have a complicated history, and it’s the last thing she wants to think about as she navigates academic politics, institutional hurdles, and romantic entanglements with men and women that further complicate a sexuality not even she can define. Then she learns that Tom left his old job for undisclosed reasons—and his long-awaited second novel is about a professor reckoning with his checkered past. As rumors spread that Sam is the inspiration behind a central character, she fights to regain control of the story.

A hilarious yet sobering look at how hustle culture has come to define modern academia, The Adjunct offers a bold twist on a tangled MeToo story and turns Sam’s downward spiral into a searing critique of class and the hollow promises of the American dream.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.