by Julia Glass
First published 2002
Paul McLeod travels through Greece in 1989, recently widowed and searching for something he cannot name. He meets Fern, a young American artist, and becomes captivated by her presence. Their encounter forces him to confront the hidden disappointments of his marriage. Six years later, Paul's death brings his three sons back to their Scottish childhood home. Fenno, the eldest, has built a careful life in New York's West Village, running a bookshop and avoiding emotional complications. But a neighbor's unexpected gift and a photographer's attention pull him into unfamiliar territory. When devastating loss strikes, Fenno must learn what love actually means. The story comes full circle when Fenno encounters Fern at a Long Island dinner party, ten years after his father met her. Now pregnant and facing her own crossroads, Fern represents both the past and future for this Scottish family. All three characters must reconcile their histories with their hopes, discovering that the connections we choose can heal us as powerfully as the ones we inherit.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Greece, Long Island, New York, Scotland, West Village
Period: 1989, 1990s, 2000s
353 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon