by Jane Green
First published 2010
Callie Perry radiates warmth wherever she goes in Bedford, New York, content with her stable family life. Her younger sister Steffi lives differently, jumping between relationships and careers in Manhattan at thirty, embracing her freedom. Their parents Walter and Honor divorced long ago and barely connect except through their two daughters. When Callie learns she has cancer, everything shifts. The diagnosis forces this scattered family to reunite and confront what truly matters. Over twelve months, they navigate Callie's illness together, rediscovering bonds they thought were broken. Steffi must decide what kind of person she wants to become. Walter and Honor face their shared history and separate futures. Callie fights not just for her health but for the relationships that define her world. The year tests every connection between them, revealing how love and loyalty endure even when families splinter.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Bedford, Manhattan, New York
Period: 21st-century
342 pages · Hardcover · Viking
Content warnings: terminal-illness