''I FINISHED THIS WONDERFUL BOOK IN FLOODS OF TEARS'' JESSIE BURTON

''SUCH A PLEASURE'' CLARE CHAMBERS

''WITTY AND INSIGHTFUL'' BONNIE GARMUS

At fifty-seven, Julia Ames finds herself with an improbably lovely life. She has a husband she loves, two happy children and a contented existence in the suburbs.

She''s unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, a soon-to-be empty nest, and a seductive resurgence of the past - all of which threaten to derail Julia''s hard-earned peace.

Wise, witty and deeply moving, this brilliantly observed domestic drama asks what it takes to make - and not to break - a family.

''A FAMILY SAGA TO SAVE AS A TREAT AND DEVOUR WHEN YOU SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE'' INDEPENDENT

''LOMBARDO IS THE NEW ANNE TYLER, WITH TEETH'' ERICKA WALLER

''A BIG AMERICAN NOVEL TO GET TOTALLY LOST IN'' CLAIRE POWELL