A Poignant Debut Novel from Lauren Aliza Green — Longlisted for the 2025 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award For fans of Anne Tyler and Claire Lombardo, this deeply moving, sharply written family drama explores grief, secrets, and resilience with wit and heart -- Morgan and Benji are getting married. Which comes as a shock to their families . . . Twelve years ago, sixteen-year-old Alice Weil, Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend, died. No one is quite the same. As Benji and Morgan bring the two families together for the first time since the funeral, they know old wounds have yet to heal. But as the guests descend on a tranquil New England town, it’s clear that these estranged families won’t come quietly. Add in old flames, unexpected new loves, and the sharp secrets some still carry about Alice, and Morgan and Benji wonder not will the marriage last, but will they survive the wedding? -- 'A bouquet of a book: thoughtful, heartfelt, funny, tender, tough and gorgeously written. A tremendous new writer' Elizabeth McCracken 'A study of grief, resilience and surprising joy. I know these characters will stay with me' Mary Beth Keane 'Intricately structured and elegantly written . . . a family drama that pivots between the sweeping and the intimate in seamless, wildly entertaining prose' Catherine Lacey 'Green writes with a poet’s ear and an impressionist’s eye, and the result is a wise, elegiac novel that is impossible to put down even after turning the last gorgeous page' Bret Anthony Johnston 'Truly elegant . . . I turned the pages as fast as I could, aching to understand the impossible' Hanna Halperin 'Glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight' Ann Napolitano 'A page turner . . . honest, funny and deeply empathic' Charmaine Wilkerson 'Deeply moving' Heat 'This dramatic tragi-comedy takes us right into the head of each character' Daily Mail 'Poignant and thought-provoking' Culturefly 'Will make you laugh and moments later choke you up . . . impressively executed' Glamour 'Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships and societal expectations. I will be recommending this book to everybody I know!' 5* Reader Review