Attention Anna Quindlen Devotees

Anna Quindlen has a devoted following of readers. She wrote five best-selling novels as well as books of nonfiction. There are also movies based on her fiction. She writes columns in Newsweek and her New York Times column, "Public and Private" was awarded the Pulitzer in 1991. Moreover, she has appeared in high school literature and anthologies. She is a gifted writer who uses prose that appears simple. She has an ear for dialogue and an ability to tell a story. She engages readers on a variety of challenging topics from difficult career choices to domestic violence. Her novels feature complex family relationships and mainstream female protagonists struggling with personal crises and grappling for self-awareness. Quindlen's novels are loved for their all-too-human characters and universal conditions. Black and Blue, for example, dealt with family violence. Her most recent novel, Every Last One, delves into a social issue theme.

Every Last One is an unforgettable portrait of a mother, a father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seems like inconsequential actions. Mary Beth Latham is first and foremost a mother, whose three teenaged children come first, before her career as a landscape gardener, or even her life as the wife of a doctor. Caring for her family and preserving their everyday life is paramount. And so, when one of her sons, Max, becomes depressed, Mary Beth becomes focused on him, and is blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterward is a testament to the power of a woman's love and determination. Mary Beth must face "every last one" of her fears as she holds onto love and pursues hope and healing.

So, for her devoted readers, Every Last One, is about facing every last one of the things we fear most, about finding ways to traverse an unintended path, and to be brave enough to try to live a life we never dreamed we'd have to live.