Quindlen’s trademark wisdom on family, emotions, and the secrets of people in a small town are at the center of this novel about triumph over adversity and the power of love to transcend time, by the best-selling author of Still Life with Breadcrumbs and One True Thing. When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are left to struggle without the woman who centered their lives. Bill Brown finds himself overwhelmed, and Annie’s best friend Annemarie is lost to old bad habits without Annie’s support. It is Annie’s daughter, Ali, forced to try to care for her younger brothers and even her father, who manages to maintain some semblance of their former lives for them all, and who confronts the complicated truths of adulthood. Yet over the course of the next year, while Annie looms large in their memories, all three are able to grow, to change, even to become stronger and more sure of themselves. The enduring power Annie gave to those who loved her is the power to love, and to go on without her. Written in Quindlen’s emotionally resonant voice, and with her deep and generous understanding of people, After Annie is a story that ends with hope, a beautiful novel about how adversity can change us in profound ways.
Publication Year: 2024
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While I admire Anna Quindlen immensely, I could not connect to this book. The tragedy of a beloved mother dying and the aftermath of her husband, children and family reckoning with this unimaginable loss is certainly a premise. Still, the story came across as white and bland. I wanted diversity in the characters, I wanted an examination of how Annie's family's privilege made the grief process that much more manageable than a family without means. None of this was there, so it was a DNF for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.
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