First published 2026
Heti thought she knew her mother Ana. A loving parent, successful professional, the center of every gathering. Then Ana dies, leaving Heti to navigate grief while raising teenage daughters and managing her LA life. An unmarked package changes everything. Inside are photographs of young Ana in robes, standing before flames, aiming a weapon at crying women. The images shatter everything Heti believed about the woman who raised her. As she prepares the traditional memorial service, Heti finds herself surrounded by voices. Her aunts and cousins share stories. Soccer moms reveal hidden truths. Business contacts open up. Friends and strangers alike seem compelled to speak. Through these conversations, Heti glimpses the secret lives women carry. She begins to see the contradictions that exist within every woman, including Ana, including herself. When the anniversary of Ana's death arrives, Heti gathers the women who knew her mother. She asks the question that has consumed her: Who was Ana, really? The answer lies somewhere between the devoted mother Heti remembers and the revolutionary fighter in those shocking photographs.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, biographical-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: emotionally-complex, intimate, introspective, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, multiple-perspectives, secrets-revealed, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Los Angeles, Planet Earth
Period: Contemporary
240 pages · Hardcover · Ecco
Content warnings: death, violence