Recently divorced Angela Malone leaves her glamorous and fast-paced life as an advertising executive in Seattle for the peace and calm of her childhood home. Her marriage ended because she and her husband, Conlan, had been unable to conceive a child, and the constant stress that this brought upon their marriage was more than either of them could handle.

Angie returns home to the arms of her large Italian family in West End. Her new role --- to help rebuild DeSaria's, the family's restaurant, which was her deceased father's pride and joy. Angie finds herself hiding from the ghosts of her past within the warmth of her family.

While revamping the restaurant, Angie's life fatefully intersects with Lauren Ribido, an extremely ambitious 18-year-old girl who she embraces. Lauren is hired to waitress at DeSaria's. An intense friendship develops between Angie and Lauren.

When Lauren's life strays drastically off the path she had dreamed for herself, she finds herself facing challenges that are beyond her comprehension. At the same time her longtime boyfriend's college dream pulls him away from her, and she is left alone with her own burden to handle. She turns to Angie for help.

In Angie, Lauren finds the mother she always had longed for. In Lauren, Angie discovers that giving birth to a child is not the only way to become a mother and both women find the answers they have been searching for within each other.

Kristin Hannah is an extraordinary novelist who has created a real and vivid portrait of motherhood and the choices that women face today. THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE explores the emotional journeys of women who have found themselves lost within their own lives. Hannah writes with spirit and sympathy to create a novel that is rich in detail and characters who are courageous and believable. THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE is an excellent story about the obstacles in life, the strength of love, and the beauty of hope.