Host: Michelle
Attendees: Lori, Susan, Janna, Ruth, Gayle, JJ, Mary Margaret, Pam T, Pam M
Simon&Schuster: A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for the explosive events to come.
Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again and again over the next 40 years. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while haunted by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace
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Thank you Michelle for a cozy and festive setting. Good company and lively discussion. The book itself......meh. It brought out some interesting points but the more we dissected various topics it seemed the novel just came up short. Most of the reviews seem more effusive and positive than we actually felt the story deserved. (An Amazon Best Book of June 2019, Wha?!) In any event, we had a night full of conversation and thoughtful consideration as we bounced thoughts and opinions off each other. Mental illness, family dynamics and dysfunction, immigrant experience, estrangement... just a few of the topics we covered. We ultimately rated the book 2.75 to 3 (maybe) stars.
Happy holidays all!
Our next selection January 2020: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
