After a near-stranger dies in their small town, a tight-knit group of friends can no longer ignore their long-dormant desires and unfulfilled dreams in this moving debut about the complicated joys of chosen family.

After a near-stranger dies in their small town, a tight-knit group of friends can no longer ignore their long-dormant desires and unfulfilled dreams in this moving debut about the complicated joys of chosen family.

After a near-stranger dies in their small town, a tight-knit group of friends can no longer ignore their long-dormant desires and unfulfilled dreams --- a moving debut about the complicated joys of chosen family.

It was too much to ask. But sometimes too much is what we ask of the people we love most.

Radclyffe, New York, is an idyllic upstate town, nestled in the hills and complete with artisanal bakeries, pottery studios and hidden swimming holes. Ruth and her wife, Wyn, are living the dream (or Wyn’s dream, at least) with their four children on their small farm, which is also the bucolic gathering place for their circle of friends. It’s a sweet life, but there’s a secret at its center, one that not even Ruth’s best friend, Caroline, knows.

What Caroline does know is that she loves and depends on Ruth, and on the bond between their families. More than anything, she wants her tenderhearted son not to grow up lonely the way she did. Unfortunately, no one can assure her of that, especially not her husband. He just wants things to be easy, drama-free --- which is impossible, as he has donated his sperm to his cousin, Tobi, and her wife so that they could have kids of their own. Now those children are asking unanswerable questions.

After an unexpected death in their community, all three couples are forced to confront the tensions that have long been buried beneath the surfaces of their lives. Richly textured and big-hearted, this exhilarating debut is an unforgettable story of the alchemy of love and loyalty that makes friends LIKE FAMILY. 

Ten-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only 52 Wednesdays to visit 52 works of art and commit to memory "all that is beautiful in the world" before Mona loses her sight forever.

Ten-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only 52 Wednesdays to visit 52 works of art and commit to memory "all that is beautiful in the world" before Mona loses her sight forever.

Ten-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only 52 Wednesdays to visit 52 works of art and commit to memory "all that is beautiful in the world" before Mona loses her sight forever.

While the doctors can find no explanation for Mona's brief episode of blindness, they agree that the threat of permanent vision loss cannot be ruled out. The girl's grandfather, Henry, may not be able to stop his granddaughter from losing her sight, but he can fill the encroaching darkness with beauty.

Every Wednesday for a year, the pair abscond together and visit a single masterpiece in one of Paris's renowned museums. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona learns how each artist's work shaped the world around them. In turn, the young girl's world is changed forever by the power of their art. Under the kind and careful tutelage of her grandfather, Mona learns the true meaning of generosity, melancholy, love, loss and revolution. Her perspective will never be the same --- nor will the reader's.

MONA'S EYES is a heartfelt, enlightening journey across five centuries of Western art history. With the emotional impact of THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG and the readability of THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP, Thomas Schlesser's sensational debut novel is at once a moving book about the beauty of life and a deeply touching story about the special bond between a girl and her grandfather.

After 40 years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther --- a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by antisemitism.

After 40 years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther --- a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by antisemitism.

After 40 years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther --- a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by antisemitism.

Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine. Her mother is murdered by antisemites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther. In fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her.

When Esther is 14, soon to be a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic New England family with a history of providing foster care for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they despise antisemitism. Esther’s gratitude for the Winslows is unending. Even as she retraces her roots back to Vienna, she never stops loving and protecting the Winslows. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is 76.

John Irving’s 16th novel is a testament to his enduring ability to weave complex characters and intricate narratives that challenge and captivate. QUEEN ESTHER is not just a story of survival but a profound exploration of identity, belonging and the enduring impact of history on our personal lives showcasing why Irving remains one of the world’s most beloved, provocative and entertaining authors --- a storyteller of our time and for all time.

Bestselling, beloved author Ann Packer returns with her first novel in over a decade, an intimate and profoundly moving look at a long marriage and the ways in which a startling request can change a couple’s understanding of who they are, together and apart.

Bestselling, beloved author Ann Packer returns with her first novel in over a decade, an intimate and profoundly moving look at a long marriage and the ways in which a startling request can change a couple’s understanding of who they are, together and apart.

Bestselling, beloved author Ann Packer returns with her first novel in over a decade, an intimate and profoundly moving look at a long marriage and the ways in which a startling request can change a couple’s understanding of who they are, together and apart.

Eliot and his wife, Claire, have been happily married for nearly four decades. They've raised two children in their sleepy Connecticut town and weathered the inevitable ups and downs of a long life spent together. But eight years after Claire was diagnosed with cancer, the end is near, and it's time to gather loved ones and prepare for the inevitable.

Over the years of Claire’s illness, Eliot has willingly --- lovingly --- shifted into the role of caregiver, appreciating the intimacy and tenderness that comes with a role even more layered and complex than the one he performed as a devoted husband. But as he focuses on settling into what will be their last days and weeks together, Claire makes an unexpected request that leaves him reeling. In a moment, his carefully constructed world is shattered.

What if your partner’s dying wish broke your heart? How well do we know the deepest desires of those we love dearly? As Eliot is confronted with this profound turning point in his marriage and his life, he grapples with the man and husband he’s been, and with the great unknowns of Claire’s last days.

Ann Packer makes a triumphant return with this powerful novel that is tender and raw, visceral and unexpected. Emotionally vibrant and complex, SOME BRIGHT NOWHERE explores the profound gifts and unexpected costs of truly loving someone, and the fears and desires we experience as the end of life draws near.